Two Ways to Talk About the Past
Both tenses describe a finished event, and the choice depends on how you tell it.
How It Works
Occitan keeps two tenses for an event that is finished.
| Tense | How it is built | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Compound past | aver or èsser + participle | ai manjat |
| Simple past | stem + its own endings | mangèri |
Use the compound past in conversation, for something that happened today or recently: Maria a parlat amb Joan.
Use the simple past to tell a story or to report events in order: Joan arribèt e parlèt amb Maria. You meet it in tales and books.
Most verbs take aver in the compound past. Verbs of coming and going, such as venir and anar, take èsser: soi anat (I went). So do reflexive verbs and èsser itself: soi estat (I have been). Later entries teach each tense in full.
Examples (4)
- Uèi ai manjat a l'ostal.
Today I ate at home.
Compound past: ai (from aver) + manjat.
- Maria a parlat amb Joan.
Maria spoke with Joan.
Compound past: a (from aver) + parlat.
- Soi arribat ièr.
I arrived yesterday.
Arribar takes èsser: soi + arribat.
- Joan arribèt e parlèt amb Maria.
Joan arrived and spoke with Maria.
Simple past for a story: arribèt and parlèt.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- Compound Past With aver
Most compound pasts use aver.
Level 3 - Compound Past With èsser
Verbs of coming and going use èsser.
Level 3 - Simple Past of -ar Verbs
A later entry builds the simple past.
Level 4 - Simple Past or Compound Past
A later entry compares the two pasts.
Level 4 - Compound Past or Imperfect
The imperfect is a third way to speak about the past.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Two Ways to Talk About the Past in Bubblegum
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