influenciar Imperfect Conjugation
influenciar — to influence
The imperfect of influenciar (influenciaba, influenciabas) describes ongoing or habitual past influence.
influenciar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe background situations or actions that were happening continuously or repeatedly in the past. Think 'used to influence' or 'was influencing'.
Notes on influenciar in the Imperfect
Influenciar is regular in the imperfect indicative tense. It follows the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Cuando era joven, su abuelo lo influenciaba mucho.
When he was young, his grandfather influenced him a lot.
él/ella/usted
Antes, yo influenciaba las decisiones del equipo.
Before, I used to influence the team's decisions.
yo
¿Tú influenciabas a tus amigos para hacer travesuras?
Did you used to influence your friends to get into mischief?
tú
Los medios influenciaban la opinión pública constantemente.
The media constantly influenced public opinion.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect.
Correct: For ongoing or habitual past influence, use 'influenciaba', not 'influenció'.
Why: The imperfect describes the scene or background, while the preterite describes a completed event.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect with the present tense.
Correct: 'Influenciaba' is past, 'influencia' is present.
Why: Tense matters for indicating when the action occurred.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: influencio
The present tense of influenciar (influencio, influencias, influencia) describes current or habitual influence.
Preterite
yo: influencié
The preterite of influenciar is regular: influencié, influenciaste, influenció, influenciamos, influenciasteis, influenciaron.
Future
yo: influenciaré
The future tense of influenciar (influenciaré, influenciarás) indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: influenciaría
The conditional of influenciar (influenciaría, influenciarías) is used for hypotheticals ('would influence').
Present Subjunctive
yo: influencie
The present subjunctive of influenciar (influencie, influencies, influenciemos) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: influenciara
The imperfect subjunctive of influenciar (influenciara/influenciase) is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: influencia
The imperative of influenciar is mostly regular, with commands like 'influencia' (tú) and 'influencien' (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no influencies
Negative commands for influenciar use the present subjunctive: 'no influencies' (tú), 'no influencien' (ustedes).