Just as you use the auxiliary verb داشتن (to have) to emphasize actions happening right now, you can use its past forms to describe actions that were ongoing in the past. This is the past progressive tense, used for setting the scene or describing an action that was in progress at a specific time (like "was reading" or "were building").
The structure mirrors the present progressive, requiring two conjugated verbs: [Conjugated past form of داشتن] + [Rest of sentence] + [Conjugated past continuous verb]
| Subject | Auxiliary |
|---|---|
| من | داشتم |
| تو | داشتی |
| او / آن | داشت |
| ما | داشتیم |
| شما | داشتید |
| آنها / ایشان | داشتند |
The auxiliary verb usually follows the subject, creating a frame with the main past continuous verb at the very end of the sentence.
| The director was reading the script. | کارگردان داشت نمایشنامه را میخواند.kârgardân dâsht namâyeshnâme râ mikhând. |
| Because of the changes, I was writing the script. | به خاطر تغییرات، داشتم نمایشنامه را مینوشتم.be khâtere taghyirât, dâshtam namâyeshnâme râ mineveshtam |
Compound Verbs
For compound verbs, the rule remains exactly the same. Both the auxiliary and the main verb must match the subject in person and number. The main action verb at the end takes the می prefix and the standard past tense ending.
| The designer was checking the makeup. | طراح داشت گریم را چک میکرد.tarrâh dâsht gerim râ chek mikard. |
| We were listening to the big commotion. | ما داشتیم به همهمه بزرگ گوش میدادیم.mâ dâshtim be hamhame-ye bozorg gush midâdim |
Setting the Scene for Other Actions
The past progressive is perfect for establishing a background action. It often describes an ongoing activity that was already happening when another, shorter event occurred or interrupted it.
| He was bringing the set, and I saw him. | او داشت دکور را میآورد و من دیدمش.u dâsht dekor râ mi-âvard o man didamash. |
| The anxious actor was whispering, and I heard him. | بازیگر مضطرب داشت زمزمه میکرد و من شنیدمش.bâzigar-e moztareb dâsht zemzeme mikard va man shenidamash. |