The preterite of imponer is used to express a specific instance of imposing something in the past, for example El gobierno impuso nuevas reglas (The government imposed new rules). This tense emphasizes the completed action of imposing at a particular moment.

This is an irregular verb that follows the conjugation pattern of ‘poner’ in the preterite. The stem changes to ‘impus-‘ throughout its conjugation, following a distinct pattern that must be memorized.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Imponer (to impose) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The preterite of imponer describes a completed action of imposing or establishing in the past.

To impose: Describes forcing something on someone or establishing rules, for example El gobierno impuso nuevas regulaciones (The government imposed new regulations) or Impusieron un toque de queda (They imposed a curfew).

To command respect/inspire awe: Used for creating a strong impression, for example Su presencia se impuso en la sala (Their presence commanded respect in the room).

Examples

Examples of Imponer in the Preterite (Past) Tense

El jefe impuso nuevas reglas en la oficina. (The boss imposed new rules in the office.)

Impuse mi opinión en la reunión. (I imposed my opinion in the meeting.)

Impusiste tu voluntad sobre el grupo. (You imposed your will on the group.)

El gobierno impuso restricciones durante la crisis. (The government imposed restrictions during the crisis.)

Impusimos un nuevo sistema de trabajo. (We imposed a new work system.)

Los directores impusieron cambios drásticos. (The directors imposed dramatic changes.)

Impuse orden en el caos. (I imposed order in the chaos.)

Impusiste respeto desde el primer día. (You imposed respect from day one.)

La escuela impuso un código de vestimenta. (The school imposed a dress code.)

Impusimos límites claros. (We imposed clear boundaries.)

Los jueces impusieron una sentencia firme. (The judges imposed a firm sentence.)

Impuse disciplina en el equipo. (I imposed discipline on the team.)

Impusiste un nuevo récord. (You imposed a new record.)

El maestro impuso silencio en la clase. (The teacher imposed silence in the class.)

Impusimos un ritmo intenso de trabajo. (We imposed an intense work pace.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Imponer (to impose) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.