The Imperfect
Imperfect: -ah, -aše, -aše, -asmo, -aste, -ahu for -ati verbs.
How It Works
| čitati | biti | |
|---|---|---|
| ja | čitah | bijah |
| ti | čitaše | bijaše |
| on, ona | čitaše | bijaše |
| mi | čitasmo | bijasmo |
| vi | čitaste | bijaste |
| oni | čitahu | bijahu |
Where the aorist moves a story forward, the imperfect sets the scene: Sunce grijaše (the sun was warming). Other verbs take other endings, for example viđah, viđaše, viđahu from vidjeti, and you learn them as you read.
Everyday Bosnian says the same thing with the perfect or with an extra word: Sunce je grijalo.
You can spot the imperfect by its endings -aše and -ahu. Once you know them, many old songs and stories become easier to read.
Examples (5)
- Dan bijaše topao i tih.
The day was warm and quiet.
Bijaše is the imperfect of biti.
- Žene pjevahu u avliji.
The women were singing in the courtyard.
Pjevahu is the they form.
- Sunce grijaše stare kamene kuće.
The sun was warming the old stone houses.
Grijaše sets the scene.
- Mi čekasmo pred kapijom.
We were waiting at the gate.
Čekasmo is the we form.
- Ti slušaše priču.
You were listening to the story.
Slušaše is the ti form.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The imperfect tense.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice The Imperfect in Bubblegum
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