
triunfar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
triunfar — to succeed
The imperfect subjunctive of triunfar (triunfara/triunfase) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
triunfar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
Use the imperfect subjunctive of 'triunfar' when talking about hypothetical situations in the past, expressing past wishes, or making polite requests related to succeeding.
Notes on triunfar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Triunfar is regular in the imperfect subjunctive. You can use either the -ra form (e.g., triunfara) or the -se form (e.g., triunfase); the -ra form is more common.
Example Sentences
Si yo triunfara en ese proyecto, estaría muy feliz.
If I succeeded in that project, I would be very happy.
yo
Ojalá él triunfara en la vida.
I wish he would succeed in life.
él/ella/usted
Nos pidieron que triunfáramos en la presentación.
They asked us to succeed in the presentation.
nosotros
Si vosotros triunfarais, todos estaríamos orgullosos.
If you all succeeded, we would all be proud.
vosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect subjunctive in 'if' clauses.
Correct: For hypothetical past situations, use 'Si triunfara...' not 'Si triunfé...'.
Why: The imperfect subjunctive is specifically for unreal or hypothetical conditions, especially in the past.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'vosotros' form.
Correct: The 'vosotros' form is 'triunfarais', not 'triunfarais'.
Why: The accent is crucial for pronunciation and grammatical correctness.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: triunfo
The present tense of triunfar (triunfo, triunfas, triunfa, etc.) describes current or habitual success.
Preterite
yo: triunfé
The preterite of triunfar is regular: triunfé, triunfaste, triunfó, triunfamos, triunfasteis, triunfaron, marking completed past successes.
Imperfect
yo: triunfaba
The imperfect of triunfar (triunfaba, triunfabas, etc.) describes past habits or ongoing situations of success.
Future
yo: triunfaré
The future tense of triunfar (triunfaré, triunfarás, etc.) indicates future success or probability.
Conditional
yo: triunfaría
The conditional of triunfar (triunfaría, triunfarías, etc.) expresses hypothetical success ('would succeed').
Present Subjunctive
yo: triunfe
The present subjunctive of triunfar (triunfe, triunfes, etc.) is used for wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: triunfa
Imperative commands for triunfar: triunfa (tú), triunfe (usted), triunfemos (nosotros), triunfemos (ustedes), triunfad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no triunfes
Negative commands for triunfar use the present subjunctive: no triunfes (tú), no triunfe (usted), no triunfemos (nosotros), no triunfen (ustedes), no triunféis (vosotros).