sobresalir Imperfect Conjugation
sobresalir — to stand out
Use imperfect forms like 'sobresalía' (yo/él/ella/usted) for ongoing or habitual past actions of standing out.
sobresalir Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
The imperfect tense describes past actions that were ongoing, habitual, or sets the scene. You'd use 'sobresalir' in the imperfect to talk about someone who used to stand out regularly, or to describe a general state of standing out in the past.
Notes on sobresalir in the Imperfect
'Sobresalir' is regular in the imperfect tense. All forms follow the standard conjugation pattern for -ir verbs: 'sobresalía', 'sobresalías', 'sobresalía', 'sobresalíamos', 'sobresalíais', 'sobresalían'.
Example Sentences
Cuando era joven, yo sobresalía en el equipo de natación.
When I was young, I used to stand out on the swim team.
yo
¿Tú sobresalías en la escuela?
Did you stand out in school?
tú
Ella sobresalía en cada clase a la que asistía.
She stood out in every class she attended.
él/ella/usted
Ellos sobresalían por su trabajo duro.
They stood out for their hard work.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite for habitual or ongoing past actions.
Correct: Ella sobresalía en cada clase.
Why: The imperfect tense is used for habitual or ongoing past actions, not completed ones.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect and preterite 'nosotros' forms.
Correct: Nosotros sobresalíamos en el debate.
Why: The imperfect 'sobresalíamos' indicates a habitual action, while the preterite 'sobresalimos' indicates a completed one.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: sobresalgo
Use present forms like 'sobresalgo' (yo) and 'sobresalen' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) for actions happening now or habitual tendencies to stand out.
Preterite
yo: sobresalí
Use preterite forms like 'sobresalí' (yo) and 'sobresalieron' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) for completed actions of standing out in the past.
Future
yo: sobresaldré
Use future forms like 'sobresaldré' (yo) and 'sobresaldrán' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) to talk about standing out in the future.
Conditional
yo: sobresaldría
Use conditional forms like 'sobresaldría' (yo) and 'sobresaldrían' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) for hypothetical outcomes or polite suggestions about standing out.
Present Subjunctive
yo: sobresalga
Use present subjunctive forms like 'sobresalga' (yo/él/ella/usted) after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: sobresaliera
Use imperfect subjunctive forms like 'sobresaliera' (yo/él/ella/usted) for past hypothetical situations or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: sobresale
Use imperative forms like 'sobresale' (tú) and 'sobresalgan' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no sobresalgas
Negative commands like 'no sobresalgas' (tú) use the present subjunctive with 'no'.