vacilar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
vacilar — to tease
Use 'vacilara' or 'vacilase' for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests, like 'If I teased you...'
vacilar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense is for hypothetical situations in the past or present, wishes, or polite requests. Imagine saying, 'I wish you wouldn't tease me so much,' or 'If I teased you about that, would you be mad?' It often appears after 'si' (if) or in clauses expressing doubt or desire.
Notes on vacilar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Vacilar is regular in the imperfect subjunctive. You can use either the -ra ending (vacilara) or the -se ending (vacilase), with -ra being more common in many regions.
Example Sentences
Si yo vacilara de ti, ¿te enfadarías?
If I were to tease you, would you get angry?
yo
Me gustaría que no vacilaras tanto.
I would like it if you didn't tease so much.
tú
Ellos actuarían diferente si tú no los vacilaras.
They would act differently if you didn't tease them.
tú
Ojalá él no vacilase en decírmelo.
I wish he wouldn't hesitate to tell me.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect subjunctive for hypotheticals.
Correct: For 'If I teased...', use 'Si yo vacilara...', not 'Si yo vacilé...'.
Why: The preterite describes completed actions, while the imperfect subjunctive is for unreal or hypothetical situations.
Mistake: Confusing the -ra and -se forms.
Correct: Both 'vacilara' and 'vacilase' are correct imperfect subjunctive forms for 'yo'.
Why: While both are grammatically correct, regional preferences and stylistic choices dictate which is used more frequently.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: vacilo
Use the present 'vacilo' (I tease), 'vacilas' (you tease), 'vacila' (he/she/you tease) for current teasing or habitual teasing.
Preterite
yo: vacilé
Use the preterite 'vacilé' (I teased), 'vacilaste' (you teased), 'vaciló' (he/she/you teased) for completed past teasing actions.
Imperfect
yo: vacilaba
Use the imperfect 'vacilaba' (I used to tease) for past habits or ongoing teasing, like 'He always used to tease me.'
Future
yo: vacilaré
Use the future 'vacilaré' (I will tease) and 'vacilará' (he/she/you will tease) for predictions or definite future teasing.
Conditional
yo: vacilaría
Use the conditional 'vacilaría' (I would tease) for hypotheticals, polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: vacile
Use 'vacile' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'vacilen' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) for wishes, doubts, and emotions, like 'I hope you don't tease me.'
Affirmative Imperative
yo: vacila
Use the imperative 'vacila' (tú) and 'vacilen' (ustedes) for direct commands like 'tease him!'
Negative Imperative
yo: no vaciles
Use 'no vaciles' (tú) and 'no vacilen' (ustedes) for negative commands, like 'don't tease him!'