picar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
picar — to sting or bite
The imperfect subjunctive of picar is formed from the third-person plural preterite: picara, picaras, picara, picáramos, picarais, picaran.
picar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
Use this for hypothetical situations or past requests involving stinging, biting, or snacking, such as 'If it bit me, I would go to the doctor.'
Notes on picar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
The spelling change 'qu' from the preterite 'yo' form does NOT apply here; it uses the 'c' from 'picaron'.
Example Sentences
Si me picara una avispa, me dolería mucho.
If a wasp stung me, it would hurt a lot.
él/ella/usted
Me gustaría que picáramos algo antes de la cena.
I would like us to snack on something before dinner.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'piquara' instead of 'picara'.
Correct: picara
Why: Learners often over-apply the 'qu' spelling change. The 'c' stays because it is followed by 'a', which naturally makes the hard 'k' sound.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'picar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: pico
The present tense of picar is completely regular: pico, picas, pica, picamos, picáis, pican.
Preterite
yo: piqué
The preterite of picar is regular except for the 'yo' form, which changes to 'piqué' to keep the hard 'k' sound.
Imperfect
yo: picaba
The imperfect of picar is regular: picaba, picabas, picaba, picábamos, picabais, picaban.
Future
yo: picaré
The future tense of picar is regular: picaré, picarás, picará, picaremos, picaréis, picarán.
Conditional
yo: picaría
The conditional of picar is regular: picaría, picarías, picaría, picaríamos, picaríais, picarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: pique
The present subjunctive of picar features a spelling change from 'c' to 'qu' in all forms: pique, piques, pique, piquemos, piquéis, piquen.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: pica
The imperative of picar involves a spelling change (qu) for formal commands and 'nosotros'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no piques
The negative imperative of picar uses the 'qu' spelling change for all forms: no piques, no pique, no piquemos, no piquéis, no piquen.