intentar Affirmative Imperative Conjugation
intentar — to try
The imperative of intentar gives commands: intenta (tú), intente (usted), intentad (vosotros).
intentar Affirmative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Affirmative Imperative
Use this to encourage someone to try something. It's very common when giving advice or pushing someone to take a chance.
Notes on intentar in the Affirmative Imperative
Intentar is regular. The tú form is the same as the third-person singular present indicative.
Example Sentences
¡Intenta este café, es el mejor de la ciudad!
Try this coffee, it's the best in town!
tú
Intente otra vez, por favor.
Try again, please.
usted
Intentemos llegar a un acuerdo.
Let's try to reach an agreement.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'intenta' for a formal command.
Correct: intente
Why: 'Intenta' is only for people you address as 'tú'; 'usted' requires 'intente'.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: intento
Intentar is a regular -ar verb in the present: intento, intentas, intenta, intentamos, intentáis, intentan.
Preterite
yo: intenté
The preterite of intentar is regular: intenté, intentaste, intentó, intentamos, intentasteis, intentaron.
Imperfect
yo: intentaba
The imperfect of intentar follows the regular -ar pattern: intentaba, intentabas, intentaba, intentábamos, intentabais, intentaban.
Future
yo: intentaré
The future of intentar uses the infinitive plus endings: intentaré, intentarás, intentará, intentaremos, intentaréis, intentarán.
Conditional
yo: intentaría
The conditional of intentar is formed by adding -ía endings to the infinitive: intentaría, intentarías, intentaría, intentaríamos, intentaríais, intentarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: intente
The present subjunctive of intentar swaps the -a for -e: intente, intentes, intente, intentemos, intentéis, intenten.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: intentara
The imperfect subjunctive of intentar uses the preterite stem: intentara, intentaras, intentara, intentáramos, intentarais, intentaran.
Negative Imperative
yo: no intentes
The negative imperative of intentar uses 'no' plus the present subjunctive: no intentes, no intente, no intentemos, no intentéis, no intenten.