recobrar Imperfect Conjugation

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect tense of 'recobrar' to describe ongoing actions in the past, habitual actions, or to set the scene. For instance, 'He was recovering from his illness' or 'She used to recover her strength every afternoon'. It emphasizes duration or repetition rather than completion.

Notes on recobrar in the Imperfect

'Recobrar' is a regular -ar verb in the imperfect tense. It follows the standard conjugation pattern: recobraba, recobrabas, recobraba, recobrábamos, recobrabais, recobraban.

Example Sentences

• Yo recobraba la calma mientras mi madre me hablaba.

  I was regaining my calm while my mother spoke to me.

  yo

• Tú recobrabas el aliento muy rápido después de nadar.

  You used to catch your breath very quickly after swimming.

  tú

• Él recobraba su fuerza cada día un poco más.

  He was recovering his strength a little more each day.

  él/ella/usted

• Nosotros recobrábamos la esperanza cuando salía el sol.

  We used to regain hope when the sun rose.

  nosotros

• Ellos recobraban el sentido de la orientación después de la tormenta.

  They were regaining their sense of direction after the storm.

  ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Using the preterite ('recobró') for ongoing or habitual past actions.

  Correct: For ongoing or repeated actions in the past, use the imperfect: 'Él recobraba su fuerza' (He was recovering his strength / He used to recover his strength), not 'Él recobró su fuerza' (He recovered his strength - completed action).

  Why: The imperfect describes the background and continuity of past events, while the preterite describes specific, completed events.

• Mistake: Incorrect accent on the 'nosotros' form.

  Correct: The 'nosotros' form is 'recobrábamos' with an accent on the 'a'.

  Why: The accent indicates the correct stress for this form.

Related Tenses