precipitar Imperfect Conjugation

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect for actions that were happening continuously in the past, habitual actions, or background descriptions. For 'precipitar', you might say 'Antes, él precipitaba las decisiones importantes' (Before, he used to hasten important decisions) or 'El río se precipitaba por el barranco' (The river rushed down the ravine).

Notes on precipitar in the Imperfect

The verb 'precipitar' is regular in the imperfect indicative tense. The forms are: precipitaba, precipitabas, precipitaba, precipitábamos, precipitabais, precipitaban.

Example Sentences

• Yo precipitaba mi entrada en cada discusión.

  I would hasten my entry into every discussion.

  yo

• Tú precipitabas el final de las clases.

  You were always trying to hasten the end of classes.

  tú

• El agua se precipitaba desde lo alto.

  The water rushed down from above.

  él/ella/usted

• Ellos precipitaban las noticias.

  They were hastening the news (making it public prematurely).

  ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect.

  Correct: Use 'precipitaba' for ongoing or habitual past actions, not 'precipitó'.

  Why: This is a fundamental confusion between completed past actions and ongoing/descriptive past actions.

• Mistake: Using the reflexive 'se precipitaba' when the transitive meaning is intended.

  Correct: If you mean 'he hastened the report', use 'él precipitaba el informe'. If you mean 'he rushed down', use 'él se precipitaba'.

  Why: The reflexive form has a distinct meaning ('to rush', 'to fall') that can be confused with the transitive meaning ('to hasten something').

Related Tenses