regresar Imperfect Conjugation
regresar — to return
Regresar in the imperfect follows the standard -aba pattern: regresaba, regresabas, regresaba, regresábamos, regresabais, regresaban.
regresar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe a habitual return in the past, like how you used to return home after school, or to describe a return that was in progress when something else happened.
Notes on regresar in the Imperfect
Regresar is regular in the imperfect. Only the 'nosotros' form requires a written accent on the first 'a' of the ending.
Example Sentences
De niño, siempre regresaba a casa antes de que oscureciera.
As a child, I always returned home before it got dark.
yo
Nosotros regresábamos del parque cuando empezó a llover.
We were returning from the park when it started to rain.
nosotros
Ellas regresaban a la tienda cada semana.
They used to return to the store every week.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: regresabamos
Correct: regresábamos
Why: All -ar imperfect 'nosotros' forms must have an accent on the 'á'.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: regreso
Regresar is regular in the present tense: regreso, regresas, regresa, regresamos, regresáis, regresan.
Preterite
yo: regresé
The preterite of regresar is regular: regresé, regresaste, regresó, regresamos, regresasteis, regresaron.
Future
yo: regresaré
The future of regresar uses the infinitive as the stem: regresaré, regresarás, regresará, regresaremos, regresaréis, regresarán.
Conditional
yo: regresaría
The conditional of regresar is regular: regresaría, regresarías, regresaría, regresaríamos, regresaríais, regresarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: regrese
The present subjunctive of regresar uses -e endings: regrese, regreses, regrese, regresemos, regreséis, regresen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: regresara
The imperfect subjunctive of regresar is formed from the 'ellos' preterite: regresara, regresaras, regresara, regresáramos, regresarais, regresaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: regresa
The affirmative imperative of regresar uses: regresa (tú), regrese (usted), regresemos (nosotros), regresad (vosotros), regresen (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no regreses
The negative imperative of regresar uses the present subjunctive: no regreses, no regrese, no regresemos, no regreséis, no regresen.