The Imperfect Tense of Intentar is used to describe continuous or repeated actions in the past, for example, Intentaba aprender español cuando vivía en México. (I was trying to learn Spanish when I lived in Mexico.)

Intentar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Intentar (to try) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The imperfect tense of intentar is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past, or to express a past intention or attempt.

Trying to do something: Por ejemplo, Intentaba aprender español cuando vivía en México. (I was trying to learn Spanish when I lived in Mexico.) This expresses the ongoing effort of trying to learn Spanish in the past.

Attempting to do something: Por ejemplo, Intentaba abrir la puerta, pero estaba cerrada con llave. (I was attempting to open the door, but it was locked.) This describes an unsuccessful attempt in the past.

Expressing a past intention: Por ejemplo, Intentaba ir al cine, pero me quedé sin dinero. (I intended to go to the movies, but I ran out of money.) This conveys a past intention that didn’t happen.

Colloquial usage (rude): Por ejemplo, ¿Qué intentabas hacer, idiota? (What were you trying to do, idiot?) This expresses frustration or disbelief at someone’s failed attempt, using a rude term.

Examples

Examples of Intentar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo intentaba aprender español, pero me costaba mucho trabajo. (I was trying to learn Spanish, but it was very difficult for me.)

Ella intentaba cocinar platillos nuevos cada semana. (She was trying to cook new dishes every week.)

Nosotros intentábamos ahorrar dinero para nuestras vacaciones. (We were trying to save money for our vacation.)

Ellos intentaban resolver el problema, pero no encontraban una solución. (They were trying to solve the problem, but they couldn’t find a solution.)

Tú intentabas hacer ejercicio regularmente, pero a veces te faltaba motivación. (You were trying to exercise regularly, but sometimes you lacked motivation.)

Mis amigos intentaban convencerme de ir a la fiesta, pero yo no tenía ganas. (My friends were trying to convince me to go to the party, but I didn’t feel like it.)

La empresa intentaba expandirse a nuevos mercados, pero enfrentaba muchos desafíos. (The company was trying to expand into new markets, but it faced many challenges.)

El equipo intentaba ganar el campeonato, pero la competencia era muy fuerte. (The team was trying to win the championship, but the competition was very tough.)

Yo intentaba mantener una actitud positiva, aunque a veces era difícil. (I was trying to maintain a positive attitude, even though it was sometimes difficult.)

Ellas intentaban aprender un nuevo idioma, pero les costaba mucho trabajo. (They were trying to learn a new language, but it was very difficult for them.)

Nosotros intentábamos ser más ecológicos, pero a veces era complicado. (We were trying to be more eco-friendly, but sometimes it was complicated.)

Tú intentabas encontrar un nuevo trabajo, pero la situación laboral estaba complicada. (You were trying to find a new job, but the job situation was complicated.)

Mis padres intentaban enseñarme buenos valores, pero a veces yo no les hacía caso. (My parents were trying to teach me good values, but sometimes I didn’t listen to them.)

La compañía intentaba mejorar su servicio al cliente, pero aún había quejas. (The company was trying to improve its customer service, but there were still complaints.)

Ellos intentaban viajar más, pero sus trabajos les quitaban mucho tiempo. (They were trying to travel more, but their jobs took up a lot of their time.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Intentar (to try) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.