orinar Imperfect Conjugation
orinar — to urinate
The imperfect of 'orinar' describes habitual or ongoing past actions: orinaba, orinabas, orinaba, orinábamos, orinabais, orinaban.
orinar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense to describe habitual actions in the past ('I used to urinate there every day') or ongoing actions in the past that set the scene ('While I was urinating, the phone rang').
Notes on orinar in the Imperfect
'Orinar' is a regular -ar verb and conjugates normally in the imperfect indicative tense.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, yo orinaba en la cama a veces.
When I was a child, I used to urinate in the bed sometimes.
yo
Tú orinabas mucho cuando tenías esa infección.
You used to urinate a lot when you had that infection.
tú
El gato orinaba siempre en el mismo rincón.
The cat always used to urinate in the same corner.
él/ella/usted
Ellos orinaban en el jardín.
They used to urinate in the garden.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nosotros orinábamos con frecuencia.
We used to urinate frequently.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'orinó' for a habitual past action.
Correct: Use 'orinaba' to describe something that happened repeatedly or was ongoing in the past.
Why: The imperfect describes continuous or repeated actions, while the preterite describes single, completed actions.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect nosotros form 'orinábamos' with the preterite 'orinamos'.
Correct: Remember the imperfect has the '-aba' ending: 'orinábamos'.
Why: These forms sound similar and can be confused if not paying attention to the tense context.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: orino
The present tense of 'orinar' is regular: orino, orinas, orina, orinamos, orináis, orinan.
Preterite
yo: oriné
The preterite of 'orinar' is regular: oriné, orinaste, orinó, orinamos, orinasteis, orinaron.
Future
yo: orinaré
The future tense of 'orinar' is regular: orinaré, orinarás, orinará, orinaremos, orinaréis, orinarán.
Conditional
yo: orinaría
The conditional of 'orinar' is regular: orinaría, orinarías, orinaría, orinaríamos, orinaríais, orinarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: orine
The present subjunctive of 'orinar' (orine, orines, etc.) expresses wishes, doubts, emotions, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: orinara
The imperfect subjunctive of 'orinar' (e.g., orinara, orinaras) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: orina
Commands for 'orinar' include orina (tú), orine (usted), orinemos (nosotros), orinen (ustedes), and orinad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no orines
Negative commands for 'orinar' use 'no' plus the present subjunctive: no orines (tú), no orine (usted), no orinemos (nosotros), no orinen (ustedes), no orinéis (vosotros).