The Aorist Past
The aorist tells what happened: one finished past event, usually with a perfective verb. Вчера купив леб (Yesterday I bought bread).
How It Works
Meaning. The aorist moves a story forward. Something happened and was finished at a point in the past, and the speaker presents it as known: Вчера го видов Марко. Се вратија во десет. It is the normal past for perfective verbs. For imperfective verbs, use the imperfect.
Type 1: -в. The verb keeps its vowel and adds -в, -, -, -вме, -вте, -а:
прочита → прочитав, прочита, прочита, прочитавме, прочитавте, прочитаа
купи → купив, купи, купи, купивме, купивте, купија
After the vowel и, the they-form ends in -ја: купија, испија. Most е-verbs switch е to а: напише → напишав, напиша, напишаа.
Type 2: -ов. A smaller group of е-verbs, mostly with a stem ending in д, т, с or к, take -ов, -е, -е, -овме, -овте, -оа:
дојде → дојдов, дојде, дојде, дојдовме, дојдовте, дојдоа
рече → реков, рече, рече, рековме, рековте, рекоа
Others: отиде → отидов, даде → дадов. The common verb види also gives видов, виде, видоа.
You and he look the same. The you (singular) and he or she forms are identical: Купи леб can mean "you bought bread" or "he or she bought bread". Add a pronoun or name when it matters.
Negative. Put не in front: Не дојдов. See the negative past.
Examples (6)
- Вчера купив леб.
Yesterday I bought bread.
Купив is the I-form of купи.
- Дојдовме навреме.
We arrived on time.
Дојде takes the -ов endings: дојдовме.
- Ја прочитав книгата за два дена.
I read the book in two days.
The perfective прочита presents the reading as finished.
- Што ти рече Ана?
What did Ana tell you?
Рече is the he or she aorist of рече; its I-form is реков.
- Децата отидоа на училиште.
The children went to school.
Отиде gives the they-form отидоа.
- Купија нов стан.
They bought a new flat.
After the vowel и, the they-form ends in -ја.
Common Mistakes
Giving an -ов verb the -ја ending.
Тие дојдија вчера.Тие дојдоа вчера.Дојде belongs to the -ов type, so its they-form is дојдоа.
Using the present form for a past event.
Вчера го прочитам весникот.Вчера го прочитав весникот.A finished past event needs the aorist ending -в. The present form прочитам cannot stand alone.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The aorist needs aspect.
Related Patterns
- The Imperfect Past
The imperfect gives the background; the aorist gives the events.
Level 2 - не + Past VerbThe Negative Past
Shows how to make an aorist negative.
Level 2 - што направи / каде бешеAsking About the Past
Questions about finished events use the aorist.
Level 2 - прво / потоа / на крајотTelling a Short Story
A short story is a chain of aorists linked by these words.
Level 2 - Seen or Heard About
Later you contrast the aorist with the reported l-form.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice The Aorist Past in Bubblegum
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