vencer Imperfect Conjugation
vencer — defeat
The imperfect is regular (vencía) and describes ongoing victories or states of expiration in the past.
vencer Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect for 'used to win' or to describe a deadline that was approaching/ongoing in the past.
Notes on vencer in the Imperfect
Fully regular -er verb endings: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían.
Example Sentences
De niño, yo siempre vencía a mi primo.
As a child, I used to always beat my cousin.
yo
El plazo vencía a medianoche.
The deadline was expiring at midnight.
él/ella/usted
Ellos vencían en todas las batallas.
They were winning in all the battles.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing 'vencía' (past) with 'vence' (present).
Correct: Vencía is 'was winning/expiring'; vence is 'wins/expires'.
Why: Learners sometimes forget the accent on the 'í', which is vital for the imperfect.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: venzo
Vencer is regular except for a spelling change in the 'yo' form: venzo.
Preterite
yo: vencí
The preterite of vencer is regular and marks a definitive victory or the exact moment something expired.
Future
yo: venceré
The future of vencer is fully regular: venceré, vencerás, vencerá...
Conditional
yo: vencería
The conditional uses the full infinitive: vencería, vencerías, vencería...
Present Subjunctive
yo: venza
The present subjunctive uses a 'z' in all forms: venza, venzas, venza...
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: venciera
The imperfect subjunctive is regular: venciera, vencieras, venciera...
Affirmative Imperative
yo: vence
Use the imperative to command someone to win or overcome something.
Negative Imperative
yo: no venzas
Negative commands always use the 'z' spelling: no venzas, no venza...