ojalar Imperfect Conjugation

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect tense of 'ojalar' to describe ongoing actions, habitual actions, or background conditions in the past related to making buttonholes. For example, 'Cuando era niño, ojalaba todo a mano.' (When I was a child, I used to make all the buttonholes by hand.)

Notes on ojalar in the Imperfect

The verb 'ojalar' is regular in the imperfect tense.

Example Sentences

• Yo ojalaba los ojales de las camisas de mi padre.

  I used to make the buttonholes on my father's shirts.

  yo

• ¿Tú ojalabas las prendas en tu antigua máquina de coser?

  Did you used to make buttonholes on the garments on your old sewing machine?

  tú

• Ella ojalaba los botones mientras veía la televisión.

  She was making the buttonholes while watching television.

  él/ella/usted

• Nosotros ojalábamos los uniformes escolares cada verano.

  We used to make the buttonholes on the school uniforms every summer.

  nosotros

• Ellos ojalaban las cortinas para la casa nueva.

  They were making the buttonholes for the curtains for the new house.

  ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Using the preterite 'ojalé' instead of the imperfect 'ojalaba' for ongoing or habitual past actions.

  Correct: For repeated actions like 'I used to make buttonholes', use the imperfect: 'Yo ojalaba'.

  Why: The imperfect describes the background or continuity of actions in the past, not completed events.

• Mistake: Confusing the imperfect 'ojalaba' (yo/él/ella/usted) with the preterite 'ojalaba' (nosotros).

  Correct: The imperfect 'nosotros' form is 'ojalábamos'.

  Why: The endings are different: -aba for singular and third person plural, and -ábamos for nosotros.

Related Tenses