Speculating in the Past
In the previous lesson, we learned how to guess what someone is doing right now. But what if you are playing detective and trying to figure out what happened yesterday, or where a lost item went? To express that someone "might have" or "must have" done something, we use the past presumptive mood (prezumtivul perfect).
For the third person singular (he, she, or it), the structure is very similar to the present presumptive. We use the auxiliary o and the invariable word fi (to be). However, instead of a gerund, we add the past participle of the main verb (the same form you use in the standard past tense).
Reflexive Verbs in the Past
Just as it does in the present presumptive, if the verb is reflexive, the third-person pronoun se attaches to the front of the phrase. It merges directly with the auxiliary o to become s-o, followed by fi and the past participle.
Speculating About "Them"
When your suspects are plural (they), the auxiliary particle changes from o to or. The structure becomes or fi followed by the past participle.
Naturally, if a plural verb is reflexive, the pronoun se merges with the new auxiliary or to create s-or.
Piecing the Clues Together
This mood is perfect for reconstructing events. You will frequently see it used alongside standard past tenses to contrast what you know happened with what you guess happened.
