Pattern
Imperfect tense is formed from the verb stem + endings -am, -ai, -a, -am, -ați, -au. Example a vorbi: vorbeam, vorbeai, vorbea, vorbeam, vorbeați, vorbeau.
Explanation
The imperfect describes ongoing, habitual, or background past actions: "I was doing X," "I used to do X." It's the tense for setting the scene, describing childhood routines, or actions interrupted by another event. Când eram copil, locuiam la țară (When I was a child, I used to live in the countryside).
Formation: take the verb stem and add the imperfect endings (-am, -ai, -a, -am, -ați, -au). For -a verbs (a cânta) → cântam, cântai, cânta, cântam, cântați, cântau. For -i verbs (a vorbi) → vorbeam, vorbeai, vorbea… For -e verbs (a merge) → mergeam, mergeai, mergea… For -ea verbs (a vedea) → vedeam, vedeai, vedea…
Notice the imperfect 1sg and 1pl share the form -am. As always, context disambiguates. Vorbeam could be "I was speaking" or "we were speaking." The 3sg ends in -a and the 3pl in -au.
Conjugation (a vorbi → imperfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu (I) | vorbeam |
| tu (you, informal) | vorbeai |
| el/ea (he/she) | vorbea |
| noi (we) | vorbeam |
| voi (you pl.) | vorbeați |
| ei/ele (they) | vorbeau |
Examples
| Romanian | English |
|---|---|
| Când eram copil, locuiam la țară. | When I was a child, I used to live in the countryside. |
| Vorbeam la telefon când a sunat soneria. | I was on the phone when the doorbell rang. |
| Bunica gătea mereu duminica. | Grandma always cooked on Sundays. |
| Mergeam la școală cu autobuzul. | I used to go to school by bus. |
| Era o zi frumoasă. | It was a beautiful day. |
Common mistakes
- Mixing imperfect with perfect compus: Imperfect = ongoing/habitual; perfect compus = completed. Don't substitute one for the other.
- Wrong endings: -a verbs keep -a in the stem (cântam), -i verbs use -e + endings (vorbeam, not vorbiam).
- Forgetting 1sg = 1pl: Vorbeam covers both — use pronouns for clarity.