inquietar Imperfect Conjugation
inquietar — to worry
The imperfect of inquietar (inquietaba, inquietabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past worrying.
inquietar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense to describe a past situation where someone was habitually worrying, or when worrying was an ongoing background action. For example, 'He used to worry about everything,' or 'While I was studying, the thought worried me.'
Notes on inquietar in the Imperfect
Inquietar is a regular -ar verb and conjugates normally in the imperfect indicative tense.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, me inquietaba la oscuridad.
When I was a child, the dark used to worry me.
yo
Ellos se inquietaban mucho por el futuro.
They used to worry a lot about the future.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
¿Tú te inquietabas por los exámenes?
Did you used to worry about exams?
tú
Mientras esperábamos, todos nos inquietábamos.
While we waited, we were all worrying.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'inquietó' for a continuous or habitual past worry.
Correct: Use 'inquietaba' for ongoing or repeated past worries, like 'Me inquietaba' (It worried me for a while/habitually).
Why: The imperfect describes the background or duration of an action, not a single completed event like the preterite.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: inquieto
The present tense of inquietar (e.g., 'inquieto', 'inquietas', 'inquieta') means 'to worry' about something happening now or habitually.
Preterite
yo: inquieté
The preterite of inquietar is regular: inquieté, inquietaste, inquietó, inquietamos, inquietasteis, inquietaron.
Future
yo: inquietaré
The future tense of inquietar (inquietaré, inquietarás, etc.) means 'will worry' or 'will bother'.
Conditional
yo: inquietaría
The conditional of inquietar (inquietaría, inquietarías, etc.) means 'would worry' or 'would bother'.
Present Subjunctive
yo: inquiete
The present subjunctive of inquietar (e.g., 'inquiete', 'inquieten') expresses wishes, doubts, or emotions about something happening now or in the future.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: inquietara
The imperfect subjunctive of inquietar (e.g., 'inquietara', 'inquietase') is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: inquieta
Use the imperative of inquietar for direct commands like '¡Inquieta!' (you informal) or '¡Inquieten!' (you formal/plural).
Negative Imperative
yo: no inquietes
Form negative commands for inquietar using 'no' + present subjunctive, like '¡No inquietes!' (you informal).