Imperfect Tense: amabam

Level 3

The past tense for what was going on.

How It Works

Person	amare	habere	ducere	capere	audire
I	amabam	habebam	ducebam	capiebam	audiebam
you	amabas	habebas	ducebas	capiebas	audiebas
he, she	amabat	habebat	ducebat	capiebat	audiebat
we	amabamus	habebamus	ducebamus	capiebamus	audiebamus
you all	amabatis	habebatis	ducebatis	capiebatis	audiebatis
they	amabant	habebant	ducebant	capiebant	audiebant

The endings are -m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt after the -ba-. The imperfect is amabam, never amabo, because amabo is the future.

Compare amat (he loves) with amabat (he was loving). The -ba- is the sign of the past.

Use the imperfect for what was going on or used to happen.

Marcus in horto cantabat.
Marcus was singing in the garden.
Cantabat is cantare plus -ba- and -t.
Iulia librum legebat.
Iulia was reading a book.
Lego is third conjugation, so the pattern is leg-eba-t.
Pueri in foro ludebant.
The boys used to play in the forum.
Ludebant is third conjugation. It tells what used to happen.
Magistrum audiebamus.
We were listening to the teacher.
Audio is fourth conjugation, so the pattern is audi-eba-mus.
Pastores gregem custodiebant.
The shepherds were watching their flock.
Custodiebant is fourth conjugation. The shepherds kept watch for a long time.

Using the first conjugation pattern with a third conjugation verb.
Iulia librum legabat.
Iulia librum legebat.
Lego belongs to the third conjugation, so it takes -eba-, not -aba-.
Leaving out the e in the fourth conjugation.
Magistrum audibamus.
Magistrum audiebamus.
The fourth conjugation adds -ieba-, so the i stays and the e follows it.

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

Imperfect Tense: amabamLevel 3

The imperfect is built on the present forms of every family.

Patterns that build on this one.

-bamamo

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