How to Use the Romanian Past Tense: Imperfect for English Speakers

Understanding the Romanian Past Tense: Imperfect

The Romanian imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, similar to the English past continuous or 'used to' constructions. It sets the scene or describes what was happening over a period of time in the past.

When to Use the Imperfect Tense in Romanian

Use the imperfect tense to talk about:

• Actions that were ongoing in the past (e.g., "I was reading")
• Habitual or repeated past actions (e.g., "We used to go to the park")
• Descriptions of past states or conditions (e.g., "The weather was cold")
• Background information in stories or narratives

Forming the Imperfect Tense in Romanian

Romanian verbs are divided into four conjugation groups. The imperfect endings vary slightly depending on the verb group, but the general pattern is as follows:

• -am, -ai, -a, -am, -ați, -au for first conjugation verbs
• -eam, -eai, -ea, -eam, -eați, -eau for second conjugation verbs
• -eam, -eai, -ea, -eam, -eați, -eau for third conjugation verbs
• -eam, -eai, -ea, -eam, -eați, -eau for fourth conjugation verbs

Let's look at an example with the verb a cânta (to sing), which is a first conjugation verb:

• 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)

Pronunciation Tips for the Imperfect Endings

The imperfect endings are pronounced as follows:

• -am: /am/
• -ai: /aj/
• -a: /a/
• -ați: /atsʲ/
• -au: /aw/

Common Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect Tense

Some Romanian verbs have irregular imperfect forms. Here are a few important ones:

The verb a fi (to be) is irregular in the imperfect and is very commonly used.

Examples of the Imperfect Tense in Sentences

Here are some example sentences using the imperfect tense:

• Când eram copil, mergeam la bunici în fiecare vară. (When I was a child, I used to go to my grandparents every summer.)
• El citea o carte când am sunat. (He was reading a book when I called.)
• Noi locuiam în București în acea perioadă. (We were living in Bucharest at that time.)
• Voi jucați fotbal în fiecare weekend. (You all used to play football every weekend.)

Tips for English Speakers Learning the Romanian Imperfect

Because English does not have a direct equivalent to the Romanian imperfect tense, it can be tricky to master. Here are some tips:

• Think of the imperfect as describing what was happening or used to happen in the past.
• Practice conjugating regular and irregular verbs in the imperfect tense.
• Listen to Romanian stories or dialogues to hear the imperfect in context.
• Use flashcards to memorize common imperfect verb forms.