preservar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
preservar — to preserve
The imperfect subjunctive of preservar uses -ra or -se endings: preservara/preservase, preservaras/preservases, etc.
preservar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense is used for hypothetical situations, wishes, or polite requests in the past or present. It often appears in 'if' clauses or after expressions of doubt or emotion.
Notes on preservar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Preservar is regular in the imperfect subjunctive. You can use either the -ra or -se endings; they are interchangeable.
Example Sentences
Si yo preservara mis recuerdos, sería más feliz.
If I preserved my memories, I would be happier.
yo
Me gustaría que tú preservases la calma.
I would like you to preserve your calm.
tú
Ojalá él preservara la tradición familiar.
Hopefully he would preserve the family tradition.
él/ella/usted
Si nosotros preserváramos más, tendríamos menos desperdicio.
If we preserved more, we would have less waste.
nosotros
Esperaba que ellos preservaran el ecosistema.
I hoped they would preserve the ecosystem.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect subjunctive.
Correct: For hypothetical 'if' clauses, use 'si preservara' not 'si preservó'.
Why: The imperfect subjunctive sets up a condition that is contrary to fact or hypothetical.
Mistake: Confusing -ra and -se forms.
Correct: Both 'preservara' and 'preservase' are correct for the imperfect subjunctive.
Why: They are interchangeable variants of the same tense.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: preservo
The present indicative of preservar is regular: preservo, preservas, preserva, preservamos, preserváis, preservan.
Preterite
yo: preservé
The preterite of preservar is regular: preservé, preservaste, preservó, preservamos, preservasteis, preservaron.
Imperfect
yo: preservaba
The imperfect of preservar is regular: preservaba, preservabas, preservaba, preservábamos, preservabais, preservaban.
Future
yo: preservaré
The future tense of preservar is regular, adding endings to the infinitive: preservaré, preservarás, preservará, preservaremos, preservaréis, preservarán.
Conditional
yo: preservaría
The conditional of preservar is regular: preservaría, preservarías, preservaría, preservaríamos, preservaríais, preservarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: preserve
The present subjunctive of preservar uses regular -ar endings: preserve, preserves, preservemos, preservéis, preserven.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: preserva
The imperative of preservar uses regular -ar endings: preserva, preserve, preservemos, preservad, preserven.
Negative Imperative
yo: no preserves
Negative commands for preservar use 'no' + present subjunctive: no preserves, no preserve, no preservemos, no preservéis, no preserven.