Imperfect Tense

What was going on?
 

To talk about things going on in the past we use a form called imperfect. Why Imperfect? Because we are only talking about what was going on, what action was in progress, the result (the perfection) of that action does not interest us.

Imperfect Tense Forms

Compare: λέγομεν,   we are saying
Compare: ἐλέγομεν,  we were saying

Compare: λέγετε,   you all are saying
Compare: ἐλέγετε,  you were saying

Past tense marker: ἐ added to the front of the verb (if the verb starts with a consonant) to tell us: Attention, we're talking about the past!
In this case actions going on in the past. We're not interested in the result of those actions:
I was writing a letter (imperfect) versus
I have written a letter (perfect, here is the letter, ready to be posted)
  
1. Try the following:
Click here for verification.

χαίρω  You all are greeting    
 We were greeting 		 χαίρετε
 ἐχαίρομεν
στενάζω  We were sighing
 You are groaning 		 -----------------------
 -----------------------
βαδίζω   We are walking
 You were walking 		 -----------------------
 -----------------------
φέρω   We were carrying  -----------------------
λαμβάνω       You were taking  -----------------------
σπεύδω   We were hurrying  -----------------------

 
So far so good, what about the other endings, for
I was going
you were going
he or she or it was fleeing
they were all running
 
Compare: primary endings for present tense
Compare: secondary endings for imperfect

primary and secondary Watch out for the differences!

Present Tense    Imperfect Tense
stem + primary endings augmented stem + secondary endings
I    am sitting   καθίζ ω I    was sitting   ἐ κάθιζ ον
you    are sitting   καθίζ εις you   were sitting ἐ κάθιζ ες
He   is sitting καθίζ ει he   was sitting ἐ κάθιζ ε (ν)
We   are sitting καθίζ ομεν we   were sitting ἐ καθίζ ομεν
You   are sitting καθίζ ετε you   were sitting ἐ καθίζ ετε
They    are sitting καθίζ ουσιν they   were sitting ἐ κάθιζ ον

Note the movable ν in the 3rd person singular used at the end of a clause, or before words starting with a vowel.
 
2. Try the following:
Click here for verification.

Present Imperfect
παίζω   I was playing  ἔπαιζον
βλέπεις   You were seeing  ἔβλεπες
ὁ ἥλιος φλέγει       The sun was blazing       ________________
πίπτομεν   We were falling   ________________
σπείρετε   You were sowing   ________________
πταίουσιν   They were stumbling   ________________
βαίνω   I was going   ________________
λείπουσιν   They were leaving   ________________
ἆρα λύεις;   Were you loosening?   ________________
πείθουσιν   They were persuading       ________________
 
 
 
Exercise 3: Translate
Check your answers

  οἱ λύκοι τοὺς λαγὼς διώκουσιν, οἱ δὲ λαγὼς ταχέως φεύγουσιν.
ὁ Φίλιππος καὶ ὁ πάππος ἐδίωκον λαγὼς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν. ἤδη ἐπανιέναι ἔμελλον when they saw a hare.
ὁ δὲ λαγὼς ἔτρεχε, ἔτρεχε, ἔτρεχε.
ὀ κύων τὰ μῆλα εὖ ἐφύλαττε.
ἐν ὧ δὲ ἐβασίλευε ὁ τύραννος ὁ δεινός, ὁ δῆμος δεινὰ ἔπασχεν.
οἱ νεανίαι ἔτυπτον ἄλλον τινὰ ἐν τῆ ὁδῷ κείμενον.
 
What were we doing last night?
οἴκοι ἐμένομεν
ἐκαθίζομεν ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ· ἐγώ, ὁ φίλος μου, ὁ κύων, οἱ αἴλουροι.
ἐγὼ μὲν ἔγραφον, τὸ μάθημα ἐσκεύαζον (I was preparing my lesson).
ἡ κύων μάλα ἔκαμνε, οὐδὲν ποιουμένη ἐκάθευδεν.
καὶ οἱ αἴλουροι κάμνοντες ἐκάθευδον.
ἐκάθευδε καὶ ὁ φίλος τῆς ἐφημερίδος λαμβανόμενος. (as always, asleep in front of TV holding on to his newspaper)
πάντες ἥσυχοι ἐμένομεν
when all of a sudden something happened: the TV set exploded.
That we can't express using imperfect: we need a different tense for stating simple facts, happenings: the aorist (chapter 11 proper)
And you? What were you doing? τί ἔπραττες;
And what were you and your family/friends doing?   τί ἐπράττετε;

Check-up

  1. Does ἐμανθάνομεν mean "we are learning"?
    How can you tell?
  2. What is the tense used here called: ἐπιστολὰς ἐγράφομεν
    What does the sentence mean?
  3. Translate the Greek verb into English: ἐκάθευδον when the alarm went off.
    How do you know whether it is present or past?
    Can you tell who is/was doing it?
    Why or why not?
  4. What differences have you spotted between primary and secondary endings (active voice only of course, for the time being)
  5. Translate:
    a. ἐκαθεύδομεν καθίζοντες διότι ἐκάμνομεν
    b. The dog was sleeping as well
    c. Even the cats were sleeping
    c. I was suffering