incitar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
incitar — to incite
The imperfect subjunctive 'incitara' or 'incitase' expresses past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
incitar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
Use the imperfect subjunctive for actions or states that were hypothetical, uncertain, or contrary to fact in the past. It's common in 'if' clauses referring to unlikely situations or after verbs of doubt, desire, or emotion in the past.
Notes on incitar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Incitara/incitase is regular in the imperfect subjunctive. Both the -ra and -se forms are correct, though -ra is more common in many regions.
Example Sentences
Si yo incitara una discusión, me disculparía.
If I were to incite a discussion, I would apologize.
yo
Ojalá no nos incitaran a pelear.
I wish they wouldn't incite us to fight.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Me extrañó que él incitara ese comportamiento.
It surprised me that he incited that behavior.
él/ella/usted
¿Creías que yo te incitaría a robar?
Did you think I would incite you to steal?
tú
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect indicative ('incitaba') instead of the imperfect subjunctive.
Correct: For hypothetical or uncertain past situations, use 'incitara' or 'incitase'.
Why: The imperfect subjunctive is specifically for these non-factual or uncertain past contexts.
Mistake: Confusing the -ra and -se endings.
Correct: Both 'incitaras' and 'incitarases' are correct for 'tú'.
Why: While both endings are grammatically valid, regional preferences exist, with -ra often being more widespread.
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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.
Imperfect
yo: incitaba
The imperfect 'incitaba' describes ongoing or habitual past actions, setting the scene.
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.
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.