quemar Imperfect Conjugation
quemar — burn
The imperfect of quemar is regular: quemaba, quemabas, quemaba, quemábamos, quemabais, quemaban.
quemar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect for ongoing past actions or descriptions, such as describing a fire that was burning for hours or a habit of burning trash in the backyard.
Notes on quemar in the Imperfect
Quemar is regular in the imperfect. Note the accent on the 'nosotros' form: 'quemábamos'.
Example Sentences
La chimenea quemaba leña durante toda la noche.
The fireplace was burning wood all night long.
él/ella/usted
Antes, nosotros siempre quemábamos los papeles viejos.
Before, we always used to burn old papers.
nosotros
Tú quemabas incienso en tu habitación cada tarde.
You used to burn incense in your room every afternoon.
tú
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'quemaba' for a single completed action.
Correct: quemé / quemó
Why: The imperfect is for habits or descriptions, while the preterite is for one-time events.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: quemo
The present tense of quemar is regular: quemo, quemas, quema, quemamos, quemáis, queman.
Preterite
yo: quemé
The preterite of quemar is regular: quemé, quemaste, quemó, quemamos, quemasteis, quemaron.
Future
yo: quemaré
The future of quemar is regular: quemaré, quemarás, quemará, quemaremos, quemaréis, quemarán.
Conditional
yo: quemaría
The conditional of quemar is regular: quemaría, quemarías, quemaría, quemaríamos, quemaríais, quemarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: queme
The present subjunctive of quemar follows the regular -ar pattern: queme, quemes, queme, quememos, queméis, quemen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: quemara
The imperfect subjunctive of quemar is: quemara, quemaras, quemara, quemáramos, quemarais, quemaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: quema
The affirmative imperative of quemar is: quema (tú), queme (usted), quememos (nosotros), quemad (vosotros), quemen (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no quemes
The negative imperative of quemar uses the present subjunctive: no quemes, no queme, no quememos, no queméis, no quemen.