Perfective Verbs in the Imperfect
A perfective verb like дојде has an imperfect: дојдев, дојдеше. It is never used alone for "came". It appears only after ќе, да, ако or кога ќе: Ќе дојдеше, но се разболе. (He would have come, but he got sick.)
How It Works
Every perfective verb has two past forms that look similar:
- Aorist, for a finished event: дојдов, дојде (I came, he came).
- Imperfect, for special uses: дојдев, дојдеше.
Forms. The imperfect endings are the usual -в, -ше, -ше, -вме, -вте, -а:
- дојде → дојдев, дојдеше, дојдевме, дојдевте, дојдеа
- купи → купев, купеше (aorist: купив, купи)
- каже → кажев, кажеше (aorist: кажав, кажа)
- прочита → прочитав, прочиташе (aorist: прочитав, прочита)
For -а verbs such as прочита, only the you and he/she forms differ: прочиташе is the imperfect, while прочита is the aorist.
Where it appears. Like the perfective present, the perfective imperfect needs a word in front of it:
- ќе, for "would have" or "was going to": Ќе дојдеше, но се разболе. (ќе + имперфект)
- да or ако, for an unreal "if": Ако ми кажеше, ќе ти помогнев. (да; ако + имперфект)
- да alone, for a wish about the past: Барем да ми се јавеше! (да + имперфект за жалење)
- ќе and кога ќе or штом ќе, for remembered habits: Штом ќе се вратеше од работа, ќе ги нахранеше мачките. (ќе + имперфект за навика во минатото)
Never alone. Вчера дојдеше is wrong for "he came yesterday". Use the aorist Вчера дојде, or the imperfective imperfect доаѓаше for "he was coming" or "he used to come".
Examples (5)
- Ќе дојдеше, но се разболе.
He would have come, but he got sick.
Word by Word: Would he-came, but himself got-sick.
Дојдеше after ќе means "would have come"; the aorist разболе tells what actually happened.
- Да дојдеше порано, ќе го видеше.
If you had come earlier, you would have seen him.
Word by Word: If you-came earlier, would him you-saw.
- Ако ми кажеше, ќе ти помогнев.
If you had told me, I would have helped you.
Word by Word: If me you-told, would you I-helped.
- Штом ќе се вратеше од работа, ќе ги нахранеше мачките.
As soon as she got back from work, she would feed the cats.
Word by Word: As-soon-as would herself returned from work, would them fed cats-the.
- Барем да ми се јавеше!
If only he had at least called me!
Word by Word: At-least that me himself called!
Common Mistakes
Using the perfective imperfect alone for a finished past event.
Вчера тој дојдеше кај нас.Вчера тој дојде кај нас.A perfective imperfect cannot stand alone. For one finished event, use the aorist дојде.
Using the present in the "if" half of an unreal condition.
Ако ми кажеш, ќе ти помогнев.Ако ми кажеше, ќе ти помогнев.Ако ми кажеш means "if you tell me" (it may still happen). With ќе помогнев, the "if" half needs the imperfect кажеше.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Perfective verbs in the imperfect follow unreal conditions.
Related Patterns
- Verb Aspect
What makes a verb perfective or imperfective.
Level 2 - да / ќе / ако + Perfective VerbPerfective Verbs After Да Ќе and Ако
The perfective present follows the same "never alone" rule.
Level 2 - The Imperfect Past
The imperfect endings, shown with imperfective verbs.
Level 2 - ќе + ImperfectWould and Would Have
The most common place to meet forms like дојдев and дојдеше.
Level 4 - ќе + Imperfect for Past HabitsPast Habits with Ќе
Remembered habits often use perfective verbs in the imperfect.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice Perfective Verbs in the Imperfect in Bubblegum
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