Intentar imperfect conjugation
Intentar in the imperfect: intentaba, intentabas, intentaba, intentábamos, intentabais, intentaban.
- to try; to attempt
- regular
- Participle: intentado
- Gerund: intentando
Imperfect imperfecto
| yo | intentaba |
|---|---|
| tú | intentabas |
| él/ella/usted | intentaba |
| nosotros | intentábamos |
| vosotros | intentabais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | intentaban |
How to use intentar in the imperfect
The imperfect is regular: intentaba, intentabas, intentaba, intentábamos, intentaban. Use it for repeated attempts or attempts in progress when something else happened: Intentaba dormir cuando sonó la alarma. It also describes ongoing efforts over a period, such as trying to save money or learn a language in the past. Because it focuses on the effort rather than the result, the imperfect often leaves open whether the attempt ever succeeded.
Examples
Intentaba dormir cuando sonó la alarma del edificio.
I was trying to sleep when the building alarm went off.
Durante años intentábamos ahorrar, pero siempre surgía algo.
For years we tried to save, but something always came up.
El vendedor intentaba convencerme de comprar el seguro.
The salesman kept trying to convince me to buy the insurance.
Quick check: intentar in the imperfect
More intentar tenses
- All intentar tenses
- Intentar present
- Intentar preterite
- Intentar future
- Intentar conditional
- Intentar present subjunctive
- Intentar affirmative commands
Other verbs in the imperfect
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