percibir Imperfect Conjugation
percibir — to perceive
Percibía, percibías, etc. describe ongoing or habitual past perceptions.
percibir Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense of 'percibir' to describe ongoing perceptions or states of noticing in the past, or habitual actions of perceiving. It sets the background scene, describing what was happening or what someone used to notice regularly, without focusing on a specific start or end.
Notes on percibir in the Imperfect
Percibir is a regular -ir verb and follows the standard conjugation patterns for the imperfect indicative tense.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, percibía el mundo con mucha curiosidad.
When I was a child, I perceived the world with great curiosity.
yo
Tú percibías que algo andaba mal, ¿verdad?
You perceived that something was wrong, right?
tú
Ella percibía un ruido constante desde la calle.
She perceived a constant noise from the street.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros percibíamos la tensión crecer en la habitación.
We perceived the tension growing in the room.
nosotros
Ellos percibían las señales pero no actuaban.
They perceived the signs but didn't act.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed act of perception in the past.
Correct: For a specific, finished moment of noticing, use the preterite: 'Percibí un olor' (I smelled a scent - completed).
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, not punctual, completed ones.
Mistake: Confusing imperfect and preterite when describing past events.
Correct: Think: Was it ongoing/habitual (imperfect: percibía) or completed/finished (preterite: percibió)?
Why: Choosing the wrong past tense can change the meaning significantly.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: percibo
Percibo, percibes, percibe, percibimos, percibís, perciben describe current perceptions or habitual noticing.
Preterite
yo: percibí
Percibí, percibiste, percibió, percibimos, percibisteis, percibieron mark completed actions of perceiving in the past.
Future
yo: percibiré
Percibiré, percibirás, etc. express certainty or probability about perceiving something in the future.
Conditional
yo: percibiría
Percibiría, percibirías, etc. express hypothetical perceptions ('would perceive').
Present Subjunctive
yo: perciba
Use perciba, percibas, etc. after wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: percibiera
Percibiera/percibieras/etc. are used for hypothetical past situations or ongoing past feelings/perceptions.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: percibe
Use percibe, perciba, percibamos, perciban, percibid for direct commands with percibir.
Negative Imperative
yo: no percibas
Use no percibas, no perciba, no percibamos, no perciban, no percibáis for negative commands with percibir.