The Imperfect Past
The imperfect describes the past as a scene: states, actions in progress and habits. Секое лето одевме на море (Every summer we went to the seaside).
How It Works
Meaning. The imperfect shows an action that was going on, was repeated, or was a lasting state at a past time: Кога бев мал, живеев во Битола, Тој читаше весник, Секое утро пиев кафе. It uses imperfective verbs. For one finished event, use the aorist: Читав кога дојде Ана (I was reading when Ana arrived).
Forms.
а-verbs: чита → читав, читаше, читаше, читавме, читавте, читаа
и-verbs (и becomes е): носи → носев, носеше, носеше, носевме, носевте, носеа
е-verbs: јаде → јадев, јадеше, јадеше, јадевме, јадевте, јадеа
When the root ends in a vowel, the they-form ends in -ја: пие → пиеја, спие → спиеја.
One form for two people. The you (singular) and he or she forms are the same: Каде одеше? can mean "Where were you going?" or "Where was he going?"
Perfective verbs. A perfective verb in the imperfect cannot stand alone, so Марко дојдеше does not mean "Marko came". It appears only after words such as ќе, да and ако, with a special meaning. See perfective verbs in the imperfect.
Examples (6)
- Секое лето одевме на море.
Every summer we went to the seaside.
A repeated habit takes the imperfect of the imperfective оди.
- Кога бев мал, живеев во Битола.
When I was little, I lived in Bitola.
A lasting past state.
- Тој читаше весник кога влегов.
He was reading a newspaper when I came in.
The imperfect читаше is the background; the aorist влегов is the event.
- Децата спиеја.
The children were sleeping.
The root спи- ends in a vowel, so the they-form ends in -ја.
- Дедо ми секогаш носеше капа.
My grandfather always wore a hat.
In носи, и becomes е: носеше.
- Што правеше вчера попладне?
What were you doing yesterday afternoon?
Common Mistakes
Using the aorist of a perfective verb for a habit.
Секое лето отидовме на море.Секое лето одевме на море.A repeated habit needs the imperfect of the imperfective verb оди, not the aorist of отиде.
Using a perfective imperfect for a single past event.
Марко дојдеше вчера.Марко дојде вчера.A perfective verb in the imperfect needs ќе, да or ако in front. For one finished event, use the aorist дојде.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The imperfect follows the aorist.
Related Patterns
- Verb Aspect
The imperfect is normally built from imperfective verbs.
Level 2 - бев / бешеPast Forms of Be
Бев, беше use the same endings as the imperfect.
Level 2 - когаSaying When Something Happened
Кога clauses often set a past scene in the imperfect.
Level 3 - често / обично / секогаш / никогашDescribing Habits
Frequency words describe past habits in the imperfect.
Level 2 - Aorist and Imperfect in a Story
Later you combine both pasts in a story.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice The Imperfect Past in Bubblegum
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