limpiar Imperfect Conjugation
limpiar — clean
The imperfect of limpiar uses standard -ar endings: limpiaba, limpiabas, limpiaba, limpiábamos, limpiabais, limpiaban.
limpiar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe cleaning routines you used to have in the past or to set the scene while something else happened (e.g., 'I was cleaning when the phone rang').
Notes on limpiar in the Imperfect
Limpiar is fully regular in the imperfect. All -ar verbs follow this pattern without exception.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, yo siempre limpiaba mi cuarto.
When I was a kid, I always cleaned my room.
yo
Nosotros limpiábamos la piscina cada verano.
We used to clean the pool every summer.
nosotros
Mientras tú limpiabas, yo cocinaba.
While you were cleaning, I was cooking.
tú
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'limpiábamos'.
Correct: limpiábamos
Why: The nosotros form in the imperfect indicative for -ar verbs always requires an accent on the first 'a' of the ending.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: limpio
Limpiar is a regular -ar verb in the present: limpio, limpias, limpia, limpiamos, limpiáis, limpian.
Preterite
yo: limpié
The preterite of limpiar is regular: limpié, limpiaste, limpió, limpiamos, limpiasteis, limpiaron.
Future
yo: limpiaré
The future of limpiar is formed by adding endings to the infinitive: limpiaré, limpiarás, limpiará, limpiaremos, limpiaréis, limpiarán.
Conditional
yo: limpiaría
The conditional of limpiar uses the infinitive plus -ía endings: limpiaría, limpiarías, limpiaría, limpiaríamos, limpiaríais, limpiarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: limpie
The present subjunctive of limpiar swaps the -a for -e: limpie, limpies, limpie, limpiemos, limpiéis, limpien.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: limpiara
The imperfect subjunctive of limpiar uses the 'limpiara' stem: limpiara, limpiaras, limpiara, limpiáramos, limpiarais, limpiaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: limpia
The affirmative imperative of limpiar gives direct orders: limpia, limpie, limpiemos, limpiad, limpien.
Negative Imperative
yo: no limpies
The negative imperative of limpiar uses the present subjunctive: no limpies, no limpie, no limpiemos, no limpiéis, no limpien.