aumentase

Aumentase is a verb form used in Spanish, and to a lesser extent in Portuguese, representing the imperfect subjunctive mood of the verb aumentar, meaning to increase. It is primarily found in literary or formal language and in older texts.

In Spanish, aumentase belongs to the -se variant of the imperfect subjunctive. The language also has the -ra variant, aumentara; both forms express hypothetical or past unreality in subordinate clauses, often after si clauses or verbs of desire, doubt, or possibility. Examples include sentences like “Si aumentase la producción, podríamos cumplir la demanda.”

In Portuguese, the corresponding form is aumentasse, which serves the same function in imperfect subjunctive constructions. It is used in similar contexts to express hypothetical or past unreality, wishes, or conditions. The spelling aumentase is not standard in contemporary Portuguese, where aumentasse is the usual form.

Etymology traces aumentase to the Latin augmentāre, with the form adapting to the Spanish subjunctive endings and, in the Romance languages, reflecting the broader pattern of imperfect subjunctive conjugations. The form is generally less common in everyday speech and is more typical of written, formal, or literary contexts.