parir Imperfect Conjugation
parir — to give birth
Ongoing or habitual past actions with 'parir', like 'ella paría' (she used to give birth).
parir Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense for ongoing actions in the past, habitual actions, or to describe background settings. For 'parir,' it could describe a situation where someone regularly gave birth or was in the process of giving birth over a period.
Notes on parir in the Imperfect
The verb 'parir' is regular in the imperfect indicative tense. All conjugations follow the standard pattern for regular -ir verbs.
Example Sentences
Mi abuela paría un hijo cada dos años.
My grandmother used to give birth to a child every two years.
él/ella/usted
Cuando yo era joven, las mujeres parían más en casa.
When I was young, women gave birth more at home.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Él parecía preocupado mientras su esposa paría.
He seemed worried while his wife was giving birth.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros paríamos con esperanza en esos días.
We used to give birth with hope in those days.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'parió' instead of the imperfect 'paría'.
Correct: Use 'paría' to describe the habitual or ongoing nature of past births.
Why: The imperfect is for descriptions and ongoing/habitual actions, while the preterite is for completed, single events.
Mistake: Confusing 'paría' with 'parecía' (seemed).
Correct: Ensure the context makes it clear whether you mean 'gave birth' (paría) or 'seemed' (parecía).
Why: These are distinct verbs with different meanings, though their imperfect forms can sound similar.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: paro
Present tense for 'parir', like 'ella pare' (she gives birth).
Preterite
yo: parí
Completed past action for 'parir', like 'ella parió' (she gave birth).
Future
yo: pariré
Future actions for 'parir', like 'ella parirá' (she will give birth).
Conditional
yo: pariría
Hypothetical 'would' for 'parir', like 'ella pariría' (she would give birth).
Present Subjunctive
yo: para
Subjunctive for 'parir' after wishes, doubts, like 'espero que pare'.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: pariera
Past subjunctive for 'parir', like 'si pariera' (if she gave birth).
Affirmative Imperative
yo: pare
Commands like 'pare!' or '¡paren!' for parir.
Negative Imperative
yo: no paras
Negative commands like 'no pares' or 'no paren' for parir.