intercambiar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
intercambiar — to exchange
The imperfect subjunctive of 'intercambiar' (e.g., intercambiara, intercambiaras) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
intercambiar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense is great for talking about past 'what ifs' or expressing wishes and doubts related to past events. Imagine wishing you had exchanged something, or discussing a hypothetical past exchange.
Notes on intercambiar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Intercambiar is regular in the imperfect subjunctive. Both the -ra and -se forms exist (e.g., intercambiara/intercambiase), but the -ra form is more common.
Example Sentences
Ojalá intercambiara mi coche viejo por uno nuevo.
I wish I could exchange my old car for a new one.
yo
Si intercambiaras tu libro conmigo, te lo agradecería.
If you exchanged your book with me, I would appreciate it.
tú
Me pidieron que intercambiara mi asiento con ellos.
They asked me to exchange my seat with them.
él/ella/usted
Era importante que intercambiaran los uniformes.
It was important that they exchange the uniforms.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect indicative instead of the imperfect subjunctive.
Correct: Use 'Si intercambiara' not 'Si intercambiaba' for hypothetical past situations.
Why: The subjunctive mood is necessary for hypothetical or counterfactual statements in the past.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the final vowel for -ra forms.
Correct: The forms are 'intercambiara', 'intercambiaras', etc., not 'intercambiara', 'intercambiaras'.
Why: The accent is crucial for pronunciation and distinguishing forms, especially in the yo/él/ella/usted forms.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'intercambiar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: intercambio
The present tense of 'intercambiar' is regular: intercambio, intercambias, intercambia, intercambiamos, intercambiáis, intercambian.
Preterite
yo: intercambié
The preterite of 'intercambiar' is regular: intercambié, intercambiaste, intercambió, intercambiamos, intercambiasteis, intercambiaron.
Imperfect
yo: intercambiaba
The imperfect of 'intercambiar' is regular: intercambiaba, intercambiabas, intercambiaba, intercambiábamos, intercambiabais, intercambiaban.
Future
yo: intercambiaré
The future tense of 'intercambiar' is regular: intercambiaré, intercambiarás, intercambiará, intercambiaremos, intercambiaréis, intercambiarán.
Conditional
yo: intercambiaría
The conditional of 'intercambiar' is regular: intercambiaría, intercambiarías, intercambiaría, intercambiaríamos, intercambiaríais, intercambiarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: intercambie
The present subjunctive of 'intercambiar' (intercambie, intercambies, etc.) expresses wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: intercambia
Imperative commands for 'intercambiar' are: intercambia (tú), intercambie (usted), intercambiemos (nosotros), intercambiad (vosotros), intercambien (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no intercambies
Negative commands for 'intercambiar' use the present subjunctive: no intercambies (tú), no intercambie (usted), no intercambiemos (nosotros), no intercambiéis (vosotros), no intercambien (ustedes).