motivar Imperfect Conjugation
motivar — to motivate
The imperfect of motivar (motivaba, motivabas, motivaba, motivábamos, motivabais, motivaban) describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
motivar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe past routines, background settings, or actions that were in progress without a defined end. For instance, 'Antes, yo motivaba a mis hermanos a leer' means 'Before, I used to motivate my siblings to read'.
Notes on motivar in the Imperfect
Motivar is regular in the imperfect tense. All forms follow the standard -ar imperfect conjugation pattern.
Example Sentences
Cuando era joven, yo motivaba a mis amigos a viajar.
When I was young, I used to motivate my friends to travel.
yo
Tú siempre motivabas al grupo con tu optimismo.
You always motivated the group with your optimism.
tú
Ella motivaba a sus alumnos a pensar de forma crítica.
She motivated her students to think critically.
él/ella/usted
Ellos se motivaban mutuamente para seguir entrenando.
They motivated each other to keep training.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed past action.
Correct: Use the preterite 'motivó' for a completed action, e.g., 'La conferencia motivó a los asistentes'.
Why: Imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, not completed ones.
Mistake: Confusing the 'nosotros' form with the preterite.
Correct: The imperfect 'nosotros' form is 'motivábamos', while the preterite is 'motivamos'.
Why: These forms sound similar but denote different time frames (ongoing past vs. completed past).
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: motivo
The present indicative of motivar (motivo, motivas, motiva, motivamos, motiváis, motivan) describes current actions, habits, or general truths.
Preterite
yo: motivé
The preterite of motivar is regular: motivé, motivaste, motivó, motivamos, motivasteis, motivaron.
Future
yo: motivaré
The future tense of motivar (motivaré, motivarás, motivará, motivaremos, motivaréis, motivarán) expresses actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: motivaría
The conditional of motivar (motivaría, motivarías, motivaría, motivaríamos, motivaríais, motivarían) is used for hypotheticals ('would'), polite requests, and future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: motive
The present subjunctive of motivar (motive, motives, motivemos, motiven, motivéis) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: motivara
The imperfect subjunctive of motivar (e.g., motivara, motivaras) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or suggestions.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: motiva
Commands in the imperative for motivar: motiva (tú), motive (usted), motivemos (nosotros), motiven (ustedes), motivad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no motives
Negative commands for motivar use the present subjunctive: no motives (tú), no motive (usted), no motivemos (nosotros), no motiven (ustedes), no motivéis (vosotros).