malgastar Imperfect Conjugation
malgastar — to waste
The imperfect of malgastar is regular: malgastaba, malgastabas, malgastaba, malgastábamos, malgastabais, malgastaban.
malgastar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense to describe habitual or ongoing actions of wasting in the past. It sets the scene or describes what used to happen regularly, like 'I used to waste time' or 'He was wasting water'.
Notes on malgastar in the Imperfect
Malgastar is regular in the imperfect tense. All forms are predictable based on the standard -ar imperfect endings.
Example Sentences
Cuando era joven, yo malgastaba mi paga en tonterías.
When I was young, I used to waste my allowance on silly things.
yo
Tú malgastabas mucha energía en discusiones inútiles.
You used to waste a lot of energy on useless arguments.
tú
Él malgastaba el agua mientras se lavaba los dientes.
He was wasting water while brushing his teeth.
él/ella/usted
Antes malgastábamos mucho dinero en restaurantes.
Before, we used to waste a lot of money on restaurants.
nosotros
Ellos malgastaban su tiempo libre sin hacer nada productivo.
They used to waste their free time doing nothing productive.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'malgastó' for habitual past actions.
Correct: Use 'malgastaba' for habits: 'Antes malgastaba mucho'.
Why: The imperfect describes repeated or continuous actions in the past, while the preterite describes single, completed events.
Mistake: Confusing the 'nosotros' form 'malgastábamos' with the preterite 'malgastamos'.
Correct: 'Malgastábamos' is imperfect (ongoing past), 'malgastamos' is preterite (completed past) or present (habitual).
Why: The endings are different (-ábamos vs. -amos) and indicate different tenses.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: malgasto
Malgastar is regular: malgasto, malgastas, malgasta, malgastamos, malgastáis, malgastan.
Preterite
yo: malgasté
The preterite of malgastar is regular: malgasté, malgastaste, malgastó, malgastamos, malgastasteis, malgastaron.
Future
yo: malgastaré
The future of malgastar is regular: malgastaré, malgastarás, malgastará, malgastaremos, malgastaréis, malgastarán.
Conditional
yo: malgastaría
The conditional of malgastar is regular: malgastaría, malgastarías, malgastaría, malgastaríamos, malgastaríais, malgastarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: malgaste
Use 'malgaste' for wishes, doubts, emotions, and after impersonal expressions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: malgastara
Use 'malgastara' or 'malgastase' for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: malgasta
Use 'malgasta' (tú) and 'malgasten' (ustedes) for direct commands with malgastar.
Negative Imperative
yo: no malgastes
Form negative commands with 'no' + present subjunctive: 'no malgastes' (tú), 'no malgasten' (ustedes).