resistir Imperfect Conjugation
resistir — to withstand
The imperfect of resistir, like 'resistía' (I/he/she/it used to resist), describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
resistir Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense for actions that were ongoing in the past, habitual actions, or to describe background settings and conditions. For example, 'Cuando era joven, resistía la autoridad' means 'When I was young, I used to resist authority'.
Notes on resistir in the Imperfect
Resistir is regular in the imperfect tense. The conjugation is consistent: resistía, resistías, resistía, resistíamos, resistíais, resistían.
Example Sentences
Yo resistía el sueño para poder estudiar.
I resisted sleep so I could study.
yo
Tú resistías las órdenes de tu jefe.
You used to resist your boss's orders.
tú
La estructura resistía el viento fuerte.
The structure withstood the strong wind.
él/ella/usted
Antes, resistíamos la presión social.
Before, we used to resist social pressure.
nosotros
Ellos resistían la invasión pacíficamente.
They were resisting the invasion peacefully.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite ('resistió') for an ongoing past action.
Correct: For actions that were happening over a period or were habitual, use the imperfect: 'La casa resistía' (The house was withstanding).
Why: The imperfect describes duration and habit, while the preterite describes a completed event.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect 'resistíamos' (nosotros) with the preterite 'resistimos'.
Correct: Remember that 'resistíamos' has an accent on the 'i' and indicates an ongoing past action, while 'resistimos' (no accent) can be either present or preterite.
Why: The accent and the ending clearly mark the imperfect tense for 'nosotros'.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: resisto
The present tense of resistir, like 'resisto' (I resist) and 'resisten' (they resist), is regular and used for current or habitual actions.
Preterite
yo: resistí
The preterite of resistir, like 'resistí' (I resisted) and 'resistieron' (they resisted), is regular and marks completed past actions.
Future
yo: resistiré
The future tense of resistir, like 'resistiré' (I will resist), is formed by adding endings to the infinitive.
Conditional
yo: resistiría
The conditional of resistir, like 'resistiría' (I would resist), is used for hypotheticals and polite suggestions.
Present Subjunctive
yo: resista
Use present subjunctive forms like 'resista' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'resistan' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: resistiera
Use imperfect subjunctive forms like 'resistiera' or 'resistiese' for past hypotheticals or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: resiste
Use imperative forms like 'resiste' (tú) and 'resistan' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no resistas
Negative commands like 'no resistas' (tú) use the present subjunctive.