voltear Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
voltear — to turn over
The imperfect subjunctive of voltear, like 'volteara' or 'voltease', is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
voltear Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
Use the imperfect subjunctive when talking about past hypothetical situations, unlikely conditions, or expressing wishes in the past. For example, 'Si volteara la página, vería el final' (If he were to turn the page, he would see the end).
Notes on voltear in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Voltear is a regular -ar verb, so its imperfect subjunctive forms are regular, following the pattern of adding the endings (-ra or -se) to the stem 'volte-'.
Example Sentences
Me gustaría que voltearas el cuadro para ver la firma.
I would like you to turn the painting over to see the signature.
tú
Si yo volteara la mesa, ¿crees que se caería todo?
If I were to turn over the table, do you think everything would fall?
yo
Él actuaría de forma diferente si voltease la situación.
He would act differently if he saw the situation from another angle.
él/ella/usted
Ojalá voltearan el marcador a nuestro favor.
I wish they would turn the score in our favor.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect subjunctive for past hypotheticals.
Correct: For 'if' clauses referring to unlikely past situations, use the imperfect subjunctive: 'Si volteara...' not 'Si volteó...'.
Why: The preterite describes completed actions, while the imperfect subjunctive describes hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situations.
Mistake: Confusing the '-ra' and '-se' forms, or using the wrong endings.
Correct: Both 'volteara' and 'voltease' are correct imperfect subjunctive forms for 'yo'. Ensure you use the correct endings for other persons (e.g., 'voltearas' for 'tú').
Why: Both sets of endings are valid, but learners sometimes mix them up or use incorrect personal endings.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'voltear' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: volteo
The present tense of voltear, like 'volteo' or 'voltea', is used for actions happening now or habitual actions.
Preterite
yo: volteé
The preterite of voltear, like 'volteé' or 'volteó', describes completed actions in the past.
Imperfect
yo: volteaba
The imperfect of voltear, like 'volteaba' or 'volteaban', describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: voltearé
The future tense of voltear, like 'voltearé' or 'volteará', indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: voltearía
The conditional of voltear, like 'voltearía', expresses hypothetical actions ('would turn over').
Present Subjunctive
yo: voltee
The present subjunctive of voltear, like 'voltee' or 'volteen', is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: voltea
Use the imperative forms like 'voltea' (you singular) and 'volteen' (you plural) for direct commands with voltear.
Negative Imperative
yo: no voltees
Use 'no voltees' (you singular) and 'no volteen' (you plural) for negative commands with voltear.