How to Use the Romanian Imperfect Tense for English Speakers

Understanding the Romanian Imperfect Tense

The Romanian imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It is similar to the English past continuous ("was doing") or used to express repeated past actions ("used to do"). This tense helps you talk about what was happening or what you used to do in the past.

When to Use the Imperfect Tense in Romanian

You use the imperfect tense in Romanian to:

• Describe ongoing past actions (e.g., "I was reading")
• Express habitual or repeated past actions (e.g., "We used to go")
• Set the scene or describe background information in the past
• Describe physical or emotional states in the past

Forming the Romanian Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense is formed by adding specific endings to the verb stem. Romanian verbs are divided into four conjugation groups, and each group has its own imperfect endings.

Imperfect Endings for Each Conjugation Group

• -am, -ai, -a, -am, -ați, -au (1st conjugation, verbs ending in -a)
• -eam, -eai, -ea, -eam, -eați, -eau (2nd conjugation, verbs ending in -ea)
• -eam, -eai, -ea, -eam, -eați, -eau (3rd conjugation, verbs ending in -e)
• -eam, -eai, -ea, -eam, -eați, -eau (4th conjugation, verbs ending in -i or -î)

Examples of Romanian Imperfect Conjugations

Let's look at the verb a cânta (to sing), which belongs to the 1st conjugation group:

• Eu cântam (I was singing)
• Tu cântai (You were singing)
• El/Ea cânta (He/She was singing)
• Noi cântam (We were singing)
• Voi cântați (You all were singing)
• Ei/Ele cântau (They were singing)

For the verb a vedea (to see), from the 2nd conjugation group:

• Eu vedeam (I was seeing)
• Tu vedeai (You were seeing)
• El/Ea vedea (He/She was seeing)
• Noi vedeam (We were seeing)
• Voi vedeați (You all were seeing)
• Ei/Ele vedeau (They were seeing)

Pronunciation Tips for the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect endings are generally pronounced as follows:

• -am: /am/
• -ai: /aj/
• -a: /a/
• -ați: /at͡sʲ/
• -au: /aw/
• -eam: /eam/
• -eai: /eaj/
• -ea: /ea/
• -eați: /eat͡sʲ/
• -eau: /eaw/

Common Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect Tense

Some Romanian verbs are irregular in the imperfect tense. Here are a few examples:

• a fi (to be): eram, erai, era, eram, erați, erau
• a avea (to have): aveam, aveai, avea, aveam, aveați, aveau
• a vrea (to want): voiam, voiai, voia, voiam, voiați, voiau

Practice Sentences Using the Imperfect Tense

Here are some example sentences to help you understand how the imperfect tense is used:

• Când eram copil, jucam fotbal în fiecare zi. (When I was a child, I used to play football every day.)
• Ea citea o carte când am sunat. (She was reading a book when I called.)
• Noi mergeam la mare în fiecare vară. (We used to go to the seaside every summer.)
• Ei erau foarte fericiți în acea perioadă. (They were very happy at that time.)

Summary: Key Points About the Romanian Imperfect Tense

• Used for ongoing or habitual past actions
• Formed by adding specific endings to verb stems
• Different endings for each conjugation group
• Includes some irregular verbs
• Commonly used to set scenes or describe past states