privar Imperfect Conjugation
privar — to deprive
Use 'privaba' (he/she/it) for ongoing or habitual past deprivation.
privar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
The imperfect tense is used for ongoing actions in the past, habitual actions, or descriptions. For 'privar', you might say 'Antes, el gobierno nos privaba de información' (Before, the government used to deprive us of information) or 'Él siempre me privaba de postre si no hacía mis deberes' (He always deprived me of dessert if I didn't do my homework).
Notes on privar in the Imperfect
Privar is regular in the imperfect indicative tense. All conjugations follow the standard -ar pattern.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, mi abuela me privaba de azúcar.
When I was a child, my grandmother deprived me of sugar.
él/ella/usted
La enfermedad me privaba de energía constantemente.
The illness constantly deprived me of energy.
él/ella/usted
Ellos nos privaban de oportunidades sin darnos cuenta.
They deprived us of opportunities without us realizing it.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Tú me privabas de sueño con tus ruidos.
You used to deprive me of sleep with your noises.
tú
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed past action.
Correct: For a specific completed action, use the preterite: 'El frío privó a las plantas de calor' (The cold deprived the plants of heat - completed).
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual actions, not single events with a clear end.
Mistake: Confusing 'privábamos' (imperfect nosotros) with 'privamos' (present nosotros).
Correct: Remember the imperfect always has an 'aba' or 'ía' sound/spelling. 'Privábamos' means 'we used to deprive' or 'we were depriving'.
Why: The imperfect and present forms for 'nosotros' are different.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: privo
Use 'privo' (yo) and 'privan' (they) for current actions or general truths about depriving.
Preterite
yo: privé
The preterite of 'privar' is regular: privé, privaste, privó, privamos, privasteis, privaron.
Future
yo: privaré
Use 'privaré' (I will deprive) and 'privarán' (they will deprive) for future actions.
Conditional
yo: privaría
Use 'privaría' (I would deprive) for hypotheticals or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: prive
Use 'prive' (yo/él/ella/usted) after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: privara
Use 'privara' or 'privase' (yo/él/ella/usted) for past hypothetical situations or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: priva
Use 'priva' (tú) and other forms like 'prive' (usted) for direct commands with 'privar'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no prives
Use 'no prives' (tú) and other forms like 'no prive' (usted) for negative commands.