telefonear Imperfect Conjugation
telefonear — to phone
The imperfect of telefonear describes past habits or ongoing actions, like 'telefoneaba' (he/she used to phone).
telefonear Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect of 'telefonear' to describe actions that were happening continuously in the past, or things that happened habitually. For example, 'Cuando vivía allí, telefoneaba a mi familia cada semana' (When I lived there, I used to phone my family every week). It sets the background scene.
Notes on telefonear in the Imperfect
Telefonear is regular in the imperfect tense. The conjugations are straightforward: telefoneaba, telefoneabas, telefoneaba, telefoneábamos, telefoneabais, telefoneaban.
Example Sentences
Cuando era joven, telefoneaba a mis amigos todos los días.
When I was young, I used to phone my friends every day.
yo
¿Tú telefoneabas mucho a tu abuela?
Did you used to phone your grandmother a lot?
tú
Él telefoneaba mientras preparaba la cena.
He was phoning while he prepared dinner.
él/ella/usted
Ellos telefoneaban a casa desde el extranjero.
They used to phone home from abroad.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite ('telefoneó') instead of the imperfect ('telefoneaba') for a habitual past action.
Correct: For repeated or ongoing past actions, use the imperfect: 'Ella telefoneaba cada semana'.
Why: The imperfect describes background and continuity, while the preterite describes a single completed event.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'nosotros' form, writing 'telefoneabamos' instead of 'telefoneábamos'.
Correct: The 'nosotros' form requires an accent: 'telefoneábamos'.
Why: This accent indicates the correct pronunciation and distinguishes the form.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: telefoneo
The present tense of telefonear is regular: telefoneo, telefoneas, telefonea, telefoneamos, telefoneáis, telefonean.
Preterite
yo: telefoneé
The preterite of telefonear is regular: telefoneé, telefoneaste, telefoneó, telefoneamos, telefoneasteis, telefonearon.
Future
yo: telefonearé
The future tense of telefonear is regular: telefonearé, telefonearás, telefoneará, telefonearemos, telefonearéis, telefonearán.
Conditional
yo: telefonearía
The conditional of telefonear is regular: telefonearía, telefonearías, telefonearía, telefonearíamos, telefonearíais, telefonearían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: telefonee
The present subjunctive of telefonear is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion, like 'Espero que telefonees' (I hope you phone).
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: telefoneara
The imperfect subjunctive of telefonear expresses past hypotheticals or wishes, like 'si telefoneara' (if he/she/you were to phone).
Affirmative Imperative
yo: telefonea
Use the imperative of telefonear for direct commands like '¡telefonea!' (phone!).
Negative Imperative
yo: no telefonees
Use the negative imperative of telefonear with 'no' and the present subjunctive, like '¡no telefonees!' (don't phone!).