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recaer Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation

recaerto relapse

B1irregular (follows the pattern of 'caer') -er★★★★
Quick answer:

The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'y' spelling change: recayera, recayeras, recayera, recayéramos, recayerais, recayeran.

recaer Imperfect Subjunctive Forms

yorecayera
recayeras
él/ella/ustedrecayera
nosotrosrecayéramos
vosotrosrecayerais
ellos/ellas/ustedesrecayeran

When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive

Use this for hypothetical situations or past desires regarding a relapse, such as 'If I were to relapse...' or 'They didn't want him to relapse'.

Notes on recaer in the Imperfect Subjunctive

The 'i' in the ending changes to a 'y' because it falls between two vowels, following the preterite third-person stem.

Example Sentences

  • Si yo recayera, buscaría ayuda de inmediato.

    If I were to relapse, I would seek help immediately.

    yo

  • No queríamos que ellos recayeran en el vicio.

    We didn't want them to fall back into the vice.

    ellos/ellas/ustedes

  • Fue una pena que recayeras después de tanto tiempo.

    It was a shame that you relapsed after so much time.

Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: recaiera

    Correct: recayera

    Why: In Spanish, an unstressed 'i' between two vowels must be written as a 'y'.

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