u + Admirative Imperfect

Non-active Admirative Imperfect

Level 5

The Non-active Admirative Imperfect (e.g., u hapkësh) is an advanced mood used when a speaker discovers, with surprise or irony, that a past continuous action was being performed on someone/something, or was being performed by someone on themselves.

How It Works

The Non-active Admirative Imperfect is a sophisticated tool in Standard Albanian for expressing evidentiality—indicating how the speaker came to know the information. It is formed using the formula:

u + [Shortened Participle] + [Admirative Imperfect endings]

  • The Particle 'u': This is the marker for the non-active voice specifically in the simple tenses (Present and Imperfect) of the Admirative mood. Note that for compound non-active forms like the Admirative Perfect, the auxiliary jam is used instead of 'u'.
  • The Stem: Use the participle and remove the final -rë, -ur, or simply the -ë (e.g., larë → la-; hapur → hap-; marrë → marr-).
  • The Endings: These are specific Admirative endings derived from the verb kam, but they are not identical to its indicative imperfect forms. The endings are: -kësha, -këshe, -kësh, -këshim, -këshit, -këshin. Pay special attention to the 3rd person singular -kësh, which differs significantly from the indicative kishte.

Usage Nuances:
1. Surprise: 'I just realized this was being done!'
2. Irony/Sarcasm: Mocking a past state that was supposedly ongoing.
3. Reported Speech: Distancing oneself from a claim about a past ongoing event (e.g., 'Apparently, it was being handled that way').

Unlike the Admirative Perfect, which looks at a finished result, the Imperfect emphasizes the ongoing nature of the past event.

Examples (4)

  1. U bëkësh vërtet ashtu?

    Was it really being done that way? (I'm surprised to hear it was ongoing).

    Word by Word: It was-being-done-surprising really so?

    The speaker expresses surprise at the method that was supposedly being used for a past task.

  2. Kur hyra, pashë që dritarja u hapkësh nga era.

    When I entered, I saw that the window was being opened by the wind (to my surprise).

    Word by Word: When I-entered, I-saw that the-window was-being-opened-surprising by the wind.

    Here, the admirative captures the moment of discovery that the window was in the process of opening.

  3. Nuk e dija që ti u lakëshe në atë lumë çdo mëngjes.

    I didn't know you were washing yourself in that river every morning.

    Word by Word: Not it I-knew that you were-washing-yourself-surprising in that river every morning.

    This uses the reflexive meaning of the non-active voice to express surprise at a past habit.

  4. Mendova se problemi u zgjidhkësh vetvetiu.

    I thought the problem was being solved by itself (ironically, it wasn't).

    Word by Word: I-thought that the-problem was-being-solved-surprising itself.

    The admirative here adds a layer of irony or mistaken assumption about a past ongoing state.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the full participle instead of the shortened stem.

    U hapurkësh dritarja.
    U hapkësh dritarja.

    You must drop the '-ur' or '-rë' from the participle before adding the admirative endings.

  • Omitting the particle 'u' for passive/reflexive meanings.

    Dritarja hapkësh nga era.
    Dritarja u hapkësh nga era.

    Without 'u', the verb becomes active ('The window was opening [something]'), which is logically incorrect here.

  • Confusing the Imperfect with the Present Admirative.

    Dje u lakam.
    Dje u lakësha.

    Use '-kësha' endings for past ongoing surprise; '-kam' endings are for surprise in the present moment.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

u + Admirative ImperfectLevel 5Non-active Admirative Imperfect

Learn This First

To learn the non-active admirative imperfect, a learner must first understand the active admirative imperfect and how the non-active voice is marked in the admirative mood using the particle 'u'. Knowledge of the standard non-active imperfect is also required to understand the tense's underlying meaning.

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u