sospechar Imperfect Conjugation
sospechar — to suspect
Sospechar is regular in the imperfect: sospechaba, sospechabas, sospechaba, sospechábamos, sospechabais, sospechaban.
sospechar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe a lingering doubt or an ongoing suspicion you had in the past without a specific start or end time.
Notes on sospechar in the Imperfect
Sospechar is fully regular in the imperfect. Remember the accent on the 'nosotros' form: sospechábamos.
Example Sentences
Yo siempre sospechaba que él no era sincero.
I always suspected that he wasn't sincere.
yo
Mientras caminábamos, sospechábamos que alguien nos seguía.
While we were walking, we suspected someone was following us.
nosotros
Los detectives sospechaban de varios empleados.
The detectives suspected several employees.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: sospechabamos
Correct: sospechábamos
Why: The nosotros form of -ar verbs in the imperfect always requires an accent on the first 'a' of the ending.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: sospecho
Sospechar is regular in the present: sospecho, sospechas, sospecha, sospechamos, sospecháis, sospechan.
Preterite
yo: sospeché
Sospechar is regular in the preterite: sospeché, sospechaste, sospechó, sospechamos, sospechasteis, sospecharon.
Future
yo: sospecharé
The future of sospechar is regular: sospecharé, sospecharás, sospechará, sospecharemos, sospecharéis, sospecharán.
Conditional
yo: sospecharía
The conditional of sospechar is regular: sospecharía, sospecharías, sospecharía, sospecharíamos, sospecharíais, sospecharían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: sospeche
The present subjunctive of sospechar uses the 'e' endings: sospeche, sospeches, sospeche, sospechemos, sospechéis, sospechen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: sospechara
The imperfect subjunctive of sospechar is formed from the 'ellos' preterite: sospechara, sospecharas, sospechara, sospecháramos, sospecharais, sospecharan.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: sospecha
The imperative of sospechar follows standard -ar rules: sospecha (tú), sospeche (usted), sospechad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no sospeches
The negative imperative of sospechar uses the present subjunctive: no sospeches, no sospeche, no sospechemos, no sospechéis, no sospechen.