Regular Verbs: Conjugations 1 and 4
You have seen how stative verbs use the imperfect tense to describe past habits, routines, and ongoing states (translating to "used to" or "was/were doing"). Regular verbs follow a highly predictable pattern to do the same.
To form the imperfect for regular verbs ending in -a (Conjugation 1) and -i (Conjugation 4), drop the infinitive ending and attach the imperfect suffixes.
- For -a verbs (like a aduna, to gather), use the -a- suffixes: -am, -ai, -a, -am, -ați, -au.
- For -i verbs (like a munci, to work), use the -ea- suffixes: -eam, -eai, -ea, -eam, -eați, -eau.
| Pronoun | a aduna (to gather) | a munci (to work) |
|---|---|---|
| eu | adunam | munceam |
| tu | adunai | munceai |
| el / ea | aduna | muncea |
| noi | adunam | munceam |
| voi | adunați | munceați |
| ei / ele | adunau | munceau |
Notice that the eu (I) and noi (we) forms are completely identical in the imperfect tense. The subject pronoun or the surrounding context will always clarify who is performing the action.
The Imperfect in Action
Use the imperfect to set the scene or describe what people routinely did in the past, such as traditional village work and celebrations.
| The peasant used to gather the harvest in autumn. | Țăranul aduna recolta toamna. |
| We used to work in the field and gather the wheat. | Munceam pe câmp și adunam grâul. |
| The man used to work the wood with the tool. | Bărbatul lucra lemnul cu unealta. |
| They used to respect the tradition and celebrate the autumn. | Ei respectau tradiția și sărbătoreau toamna. |
| When I was ten years old, I used to work in the field with my grandfather. | Când aveam zece ani, munceam pe câmp cu bunicul meu. |
| Did you all use this tool often for wood? | Foloseați des această unealtă pentru lemn? |
| They used to gather the wheat and sing. | Adunau grâul și cântau. |
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