infectar Imperfect Conjugation
infectar — to infect
The imperfect of infectar is regular: infectaba, infectabas, infectaba, infectábamos, infectabais, infectaban.
infectar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense to describe ongoing actions in the past, habitual actions, or background descriptions where the focus isn't on completion. For 'infectar,' it could be describing a condition where infections were common or a process that was happening.
Notes on infectar in the Imperfect
Infectar is regular in the imperfect tense. All forms are created by adding the imperfect endings to the infinitive stem.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, me infectaba fácilmente.
When I was a child, I used to get infected easily.
yo
¿Te infectabas a menudo en ese trabajo?
Did you often get infected in that job?
tú
La zona se infectaba por la humedad.
The area was getting infected because of the humidity.
él/ella/usted
Antes, las heridas se infectaban con mucha frecuencia.
Before, wounds would get infected very often.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nosotros infectábamos las muestras para un experimento.
We were infecting the samples for an experiment.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'infectaba' when a completed action occurred.
Correct: For a specific, completed past infection or disinfection, use the preterite (e.g., 'Me infecté ayer,' not 'Me infectaba ayer').
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, not single, completed events.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'ábamos' in 'infectábamos'.
Correct: The nosotros form is 'infectábamos,' with an accent on the 'á'.
Why: This accent is crucial for correct pronunciation and spelling of the nosotros imperfect form.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: infecto
The present indicative of infectar is regular: infecto, infectas, infecta, infectamos, infectáis, infectan.
Preterite
yo: infecté
The preterite of infectar is regular: infecté, infectaste, infectó, infectamos, infectasteis, infectaron.
Future
yo: infectaré
The future tense of infectar is regular: infectaré, infectarás, infectará, infectaremos, infectaréis, infectarán.
Conditional
yo: infectaría
The conditional of infectar is regular: infectaría, infectarías, infectaría, infectaríamos, infectaríais, infectarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: infecte
The present subjunctive of infectar (infecte, infectes, infectemos, etc.) follows expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, and impersonal statements.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: infectara
The imperfect subjunctive of infectar (e.g., infectara, infectaras) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: infecta
The imperative of infectar is mostly regular, with commands like infecta (tú), infecte (usted), infectemos (nosotros), infecten (ustedes), and infectad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no infectes
Negative commands use 'no' plus the present subjunctive: no infectes (tú), no infecte (usted), no infectemos (nosotros), no infecten (ustedes), no infectéis (vosotros).