suspirar Imperfect Conjugation
suspirar — to sigh
The imperfect 'suspiraba', 'suspirabas', etc. describes ongoing or habitual past sighing.
suspirar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect of 'suspirar' to describe sighs that were happening repeatedly or habitually in the past, or to set the scene. For example, 'Cuando era joven, suspiraba por todo' (When I was young, I sighed about everything).
Notes on suspirar in the Imperfect
Suspirar is regular in the imperfect indicative. The stem 'suspir-' is used with the standard imperfect endings for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo suspiraba mucho cuando estaba triste.
I used to sigh a lot when I was sad.
yo
¿Tú suspirabas cada vez que veías la tarea?
Did you sigh every time you saw the homework?
tú
Él suspiraba mientras esperaba.
He was sighing while he waited.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros suspirábamos al recordar viejos tiempos.
We used to sigh when remembering old times.
nosotros
Ellos suspiraban porque el viaje era largo.
They were sighing because the trip was long.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'suspiró' for a sigh that was habitual or ongoing in the past.
Correct: For habitual past actions, use the imperfect: 'Antes, suspiraba a menudo'.
Why: The imperfect describes continuous or repeated actions in the past, whereas the preterite describes completed actions.
Mistake: Confusing the 'vosotros' form, missing the accent.
Correct: The correct form is 'suspirabais'.
Why: The accent on the 'a' is needed to indicate the correct stress and pronunciation.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: suspiro
The present tense 'suspiro', 'suspiras', etc. is for actions happening now or habitually.
Preterite
yo: suspiré
The preterite of suspirar is regular: suspiré, suspiraste, suspiró, suspiramos, suspirasteis, suspiraron.
Future
yo: suspiraré
The future tense 'suspiraré', 'suspirarás', etc. indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: suspiraría
The conditional 'suspiraría', 'suspirarías', etc. expresses 'would' actions or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: suspire
The present subjunctive ('suspiré' / 'suspires' etc.) is for wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: suspirara
The imperfect subjunctive ('suspirara' or 'suspirase') is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: suspira
Use 'suspira' and 'suspad' for tú and vosotros commands; 'suspire(n)' for usted(es); 'suspiramos' for nosotros.
Negative Imperative
yo: no suspires
Negative commands use 'no' + present subjunctive: 'no suspire(s/mos/n/is)'.