tumbar Imperfect Conjugation
tumbar — to knock down
The imperfect of 'tumbar' is regular: tumbaba, tumbabas, tumbaba, tumbábamos, tumbabais, tumbaban.
tumbar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect of 'tumbar' to describe ongoing actions in the past, habitual actions, or to set the scene. For instance, 'The kids were always knocking down the dominoes' or 'As I walked by, the sign was falling down.'
Notes on tumbar in the Imperfect
Tumbar is regular in the imperfect tense, following the standard -ar verb pattern.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, yo tumbaba los juguetes sin parar.
When I was a child, I used to knock down the toys non-stop.
yo
¿Tú tumbabas el vaso de agua a menudo?
Did you often knock over the glass of water?
tú
El perro tumbaba sus platos de comida.
The dog used to knock over its food bowls.
él/ella/usted
Ellos tumbaban las sillas mientras jugaban.
They were knocking over the chairs while they played.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Correct: Use 'tumbaba' for 'I used to knock down', not 'tumbé'.
Why: The imperfect describes the background or duration of past actions, not their completion.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms.
Correct: The forms are 'tumbábamos' and 'tumbabais', not 'tumbabamos' and 'tumbabais'.
Why: The accent mark is necessary to correctly pronounce these imperfect forms.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'tumbar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: tumbo
The present tense of 'tumbar' is regular: tumbo, tumbas, tumba, tumbamos, tumbáis, tumban.
Preterite
yo: tumbé
The preterite of 'tumbar' is regular: tumbé, tumbaste, tumbó, tumbamos, tumbasteis, tumbaron.
Future
yo: tumbaré
The future of 'tumbar' is regular: tumbaré, tumbarás, tumbará, tumbaremos, tumbaréis, tumbarán.
Conditional
yo: tumbaría
The conditional of 'tumbar' is regular: tumbaría, tumbarías, tumbaría, tumbaríamos, tumbaríais, tumbarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: tumbe
Use 'tumba' (él/ella/usted) or 'tumbemos' (nosotros) for wishes, doubts, or emotions related to 'tumbar'.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: tumbara
Use 'tumbara' or 'tumbase' for hypothetical past situations or wishes involving 'tumbar'.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: tumba
Use 'tumba' (tú) and 'tumben' (ustedes) for direct commands with 'tumbar'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no tumbes
Use 'no tumbes' (tú) and 'no tumben' (ustedes) for negative commands with 'tumbar'.