maltratar Imperfect Conjugation
maltratar — to mistreat
The imperfect of maltratar (maltrataba, maltratabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past mistreatment.
maltratar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect of 'maltratar' to describe actions that were happening repeatedly or continuously in the past, or to set the scene. For example, 'Cuando era joven, maltrataba a los insectos.' (When I was young, I used to mistreat insects.) or 'Él maltrataba a su caballo, pero nadie decía nada.' (He mistreated his horse, but nobody said anything.)
Notes on maltratar in the Imperfect
Maltratar is regular in the imperfect indicative. All forms are standard for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo maltrataba a mi muñeca cuando era niño.
I used to mistreat my doll when I was a child.
yo
¿Maltratabas a tus mascotas?
Did you used to mistreat your pets?
tú
Ella maltrataba las plantas del jardín.
She used to mistreat the garden plants.
él/ella/usted
Antes, maltrataban a los animales sin piedad.
Before, they used to mistreat animals without mercy.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed past action.
Correct: For a specific event like 'He mistreated the dog once', use the preterite ('maltrató'), not the imperfect ('maltrataba').
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual actions, not single, completed events.
Mistake: Confusing the meaning with the present tense.
Correct: The imperfect describes past habits ('used to mistreat') or ongoing past actions, not present habits ('mistreats').
Why: Learners might incorrectly use the imperfect to describe current habitual actions.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'maltratar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: maltrato
The present tense of maltratar (maltrato, maltratas, etc.) describes habitual or current mistreatment.
Preterite
yo: maltraté
The preterite of maltratar (maltraté, maltrataste, etc.) describes completed actions of mistreating in the past.
Future
yo: maltrataré
The future tense of maltratar (maltrataré, maltratarás, etc.) indicates a future action of mistreating or probability.
Conditional
yo: maltrataría
The conditional of maltratar (maltrataría, maltratarías, etc.) is used for hypotheticals ('would mistreat') and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: maltrate
The present subjunctive of maltratar (maltrate, maltrates, etc.) expresses wishes, doubts, or emotions about present/future actions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: maltratara
The imperfect subjunctive of maltratar (maltratara/maltrataras/etc.) is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: maltrata
Use the imperative of maltratar for direct commands like 'maltrata' (tú) or 'maltraten' (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no maltrates
Negative commands for maltratar use the present subjunctive, like 'no maltrates' (tú) or 'no maltraten' (ustedes).