ordenar Imperfect Conjugation
ordenar — to arrange
The imperfect of ordenar is regular: ordenaba, ordenabas, ordenaba, ordenábamos, ordenabais, ordenaban.
ordenar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe how you used to organize things regularly in the past or to set the scene, like describing a messy room you were in the middle of tidying up.
Notes on ordenar in the Imperfect
Ordenar is completely regular in the imperfect. Remember that the 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted' forms (ordenaba) are identical.
Example Sentences
De niño, siempre ordenaba mis juguetes por color.
As a child, I always used to arrange my toys by color.
yo
Mientras ella ordenaba los libros, yo limpiaba el polvo.
While she was arranging the books, I was dusting.
él/ella/usted
Antes ordenábamos la oficina todos los viernes.
We used to tidy the office every Friday.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the nosotros form: ordenabamos.
Correct: ordenábamos
Why: All -ar verbs in the imperfect require an accent on the 'a' of the -ábamos ending.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: ordeno
The present of ordenar is regular: ordeno, ordenas, ordena, ordenamos, ordenáis, ordenan.
Preterite
yo: ordené
The preterite of ordenar is regular: ordené, ordenaste, ordenó, ordenamos, ordenasteis, ordenaron.
Future
yo: ordenaré
The future of ordenar is regular: ordenaré, ordenarás, ordenará, ordenaremos, ordenaréis, ordenarán.
Conditional
yo: ordenaría
The conditional of ordenar is regular: ordenaría, ordenarías, ordenaría, ordenaríamos, ordenaríais, ordenarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: ordene
The present subjunctive of ordenar is regular: ordene, ordenes, ordene, ordenemos, ordenéis, ordenen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: ordenara
The imperfect subjunctive of ordenar is: ordenara, ordenaras, ordenara, ordenáramos, ordenarais, ordenaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: ordena
The affirmative imperative (commands) for ordenar: ordena (tú), ordene (usted), ordenad (vosotros), ordenen (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no ordenes
The negative imperative uses present subjunctive forms: no ordenes, no ordene, no ordenemos, no ordenéis, no ordenen.