Narrative Aorist

Level 6

The aorist moves a story forward one quick step at a time.

How It Works

The aorist tells what happened, step by step, with no pause. Each verb is a finished event.

Infinitive	3 sing.	3 pl.
ustati	ustade	ustadoše
otvoriti	otvori	otvoriše
izaći	izađe	izađoše
pogledati	pogleda	pogledaše

Third person endings depend on the verb type: -e, -a, -i or -u in the singular, and -oše, -aše, -iše or -uše in the plural.

Everyday stories use the perfect. You meet the aorist in folk tales, older novels and some styled retellings. It gives a storybook voice, and a modern reader notices it as literary.

Examples (5)

Ustade Emina, otvori prozor i pogleda u Miljacku.
Emina got up, opened the window and looked at the Miljacka.
Three events in a row.
Amir uze kaput, izađe iz kuće i krenu prema čaršiji.
Amir took his coat, left the house and set off toward the old market quarter.
Uze, izađe, krenu.
Popiše kafu i krenuše kući.
They drank their coffee and set off home.
Plural aorist.
Otvori kapiju, uđe u avliju i pozva komšiju.
He opened the gate, went into the yard and called the neighbour.
A quick sequence.
Stigoše u Mostar u zoru.
They arrived in Mostar at dawn.
Stigoše is third plural.

How It Connects

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

Narrative AoristLevel 6

Learn This First

Narration uses the aorist.

The Imperfect
A narrative uses the aorist and the imperfect together, so know the imperfect first.
Level 6

Words in This Pattern

ustatiotvoritiizaći

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