tardar Imperfect Conjugation
tardar — to take time
The imperfect of tardar is regular: tardaba, tardabas, tardaba, tardábamos, tardabais, tardaban.
tardar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe how long things used to take on a regular basis or to set the scene about a delay that was ongoing in the past.
Notes on tardar in the Imperfect
Tardar is completely regular in the imperfect. Like all -ar verbs, it uses the -aba endings.
Example Sentences
Antes tardaba mucho más en llegar al trabajo.
I used to take much longer to get to work before.
yo
Siempre tardabas una eternidad en elegir qué comer.
You always used to take an eternity to choose what to eat.
tú
El tren tardaba horas en cruzar la frontera.
The train used to take hours to cross the border.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: tardabamos
Correct: tardábamos
Why: The 'nosotros' form of the imperfect -ar verbs always requires a written accent on the first 'a' of the ending.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: tardo
The present of tardar is regular: tardo, tardas, tarda, tardamos, tardáis, tardan.
Preterite
yo: tardé
The preterite of tardar is regular: tardé, tardaste, tardó, tardamos, tardasteis, tardaron.
Future
yo: tardaré
The future of tardar is regular: tardaré, tardarás, tardará, tardaremos, tardaréis, tardarán.
Conditional
yo: tardaría
The conditional of tardar is regular: tardaría, tardarías, tardaría, tardaríamos, tardaríais, tardarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: tarde
The present subjunctive of tardar is regular: tarde, tardes, tarde, tardemos, tardéis, tarden.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: tardara
The imperfect subjunctive of tardar is regular: tardara, tardaras, tardara, tardáramos, tardarais, tardaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: tarda
The affirmative imperative of tardar: tarda (tú), tarde (usted), tardad (vosotros), tarden (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no tardes
The negative imperative of tardar: no tardes, no tarde, no tardemos, no tardéis, no tarden.