incitar Imperfect Conjugation
incitar — to incite
The imperfect 'incitaba' describes ongoing or habitual past actions, setting the scene.
incitar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect of 'incitar' to describe actions that were happening repeatedly or continuously in the past, or to set the background scene. Think of it as describing the 'was inciting' or 'used to incite'.
Notes on incitar in the Imperfect
Incitrar is regular in the imperfect tense. All forms follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Cuando era joven, incitaba a mis amigos a explorar.
When I was young, I used to incite my friends to explore.
yo
El líder incitaba a la multitud con sus discursos.
The leader was inciting the crowd with his speeches.
él/ella/usted
¿Por qué incitabas esa discusión?
Why were you inciting that argument?
tú
Ellos incitaban a la gente a participar en el festival.
They were inciting people to participate in the festival.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect ('incitaba') for a single, completed past action.
Correct: For a completed action, use the preterite: 'incitó'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual actions, not specific, finished events.
Mistake: Confusing 'incitaba' (I was inciting) with 'incité' (I incited).
Correct: 'Incitaba' describes an ongoing or habitual past action, while 'incité' describes a completed one.
Why: These tenses serve different functions in describing past events.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: incito
The present tense 'incito' describes actions happening now, habits, or general truths.
Preterite
yo: incité
The preterite of 'incitar' is regular: incité, incitaste, incitó, incitamos, incitasteis, incitaron.
Future
yo: incitaré
The future tense 'incitaré' indicates actions that will happen or expresses probability.
Conditional
yo: incitaría
The conditional 'incitaría' expresses hypothetical actions ('would incite') or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: incite
The present subjunctive 'incite' is used for wishes, doubts, emotions, and recommendations.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: incitara
The imperfect subjunctive 'incitara' or 'incitase' expresses past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: incita
Commands like 'incita' (you, informal) and 'inciten' (you all, formal) are used for direct orders.
Negative Imperative
yo: no incites
Negative commands like 'no incites' (you, informal) and 'no inciten' (you all, formal) tell someone NOT to do something.