inclinar Imperfect Conjugation
inclinar — to tilt
Use imperfect forms like 'inclinaba' or 'inclinaban' for ongoing or habitual past actions of tilting.
inclinar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
The imperfect tense describes actions in the past that were ongoing, habitual, or set the background scene. For 'inclinar', you might say 'Cuando era niño, inclinaba mi asiento en el cine' (When I was a child, I used to tilt my seat in the cinema) or 'La torre se inclinaba lentamente' (The tower was tilting slowly).
Notes on inclinar in the Imperfect
Inclinar is regular in the imperfect indicative. All forms follow the standard -ar imperfect pattern.
Example Sentences
Yo inclinaba la cabeza para escuchar mejor.
I used to tilt my head to hear better.
yo
Tú inclinabas la balanza a propósito, ¿verdad?
You were tilting the scales on purpose, weren't you?
tú
La casa se inclinaba por el viento fuerte.
The house was tilting because of the strong wind.
él/ella/usted
Ellos inclinaban sus sombreros al pasar.
They used to tilt their hats as they passed.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect ('inclinaba') when a specific completed action happened.
Correct: Use the preterite ('inclinó') for a single, completed tilt.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual actions, while the preterite describes completed ones.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect 'inclinaba' with the imperfect subjunctive 'inclinara'.
Correct: 'Inclinaba' is used for descriptions and habits in the past (indicative), while 'inclinara' is for hypotheticals (subjunctive).
Why: These are different moods with distinct uses, even though the forms look similar.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: inclino
Use present forms like 'inclino' or 'inclinan' for actions happening now or habitual tilting.
Preterite
yo: incliné
The preterite of 'inclinar' is regular: incliné, inclinaste, inclinó, inclinamos, inclinasteis, inclinaron.
Future
yo: inclinaré
Use future forms like 'inclinaré' or 'inclinarán' to talk about definite future tilting.
Conditional
yo: inclinaría
Use conditional forms like 'inclinaría' or 'inclinarían' for hypothetical situations or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: incline
Use present subjunctive forms like 'incline' or 'inclinen' after verbs of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: inclinara
Use imperfect subjunctive forms like 'inclinara' or 'inclinase' for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: inclina
Use imperative forms like 'inclina' and 'inclinen' for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no inclines
Use 'no inclines' or 'no inclinen' for negative commands, based on the present subjunctive.