parecer Imperfect Conjugation
parecer — to seem
Parecer is regular in the imperfect: parecía, parecías, parecía, parecíamos, parecíais, parecían.
parecer Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe ongoing appearances in the past or to set the scene. This is the most common tense for 'it seemed' when describing a state of being.
Notes on parecer in the Imperfect
Parecer is regular in the imperfect. Note the accent on the 'í' for all endings.
Example Sentences
La casa parecía abandonada.
The house seemed abandoned.
él/ella/usted
Parecías muy feliz en las fotos.
You seemed very happy in the photos.
tú
Antes nos parecía una buena idea.
Before, it seemed like a good idea to us.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing 'parecía' with 'pareció'.
Correct: Use 'parecía' for background descriptions.
Why: The imperfect describes a continuous state, while the preterite describes a specific moment of realization.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: parezco
Parecer is irregular only in the 'yo' form (parezco); all other forms are regular.
Preterite
yo: parecí
Parecer is regular in the preterite: parecí, pareciste, pareció, parecimos, parecisteis, parecieron.
Future
yo: pareceré
The future tense of parecer is regular: pareceré, parecerás, parecerá, pareceremos, pareceréis, parecerán.
Conditional
yo: parecería
The conditional of parecer is regular: parecería, parecerías, parecería, pareceríamos, pareceríais, parecerían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: parezca
The present subjunctive uses the 'parezc-' stem: parezca, parezcas, parezca, parezcamos, parezcáis, parezcan.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: pareciera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'parecie-' stem: pareciera, parecieras, pareciera, pareciéramos, parecierais, parecieran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: parece
The imperative for parecer is rarely used, but follows standard rules: parece, parezca, parezcamos, pareced, parezcan.
Negative Imperative
yo: no parezcas
The negative imperative always uses the 'zc' stem: no parezcas, no parezca, no parezcamos, no parezcáis, no parezcan.