Remember that there are three types of verbs based on their last vowel in the dictionary form: a-verbs, e-verbs, and и-verbs, i.e. those ending in a, e, and и, respectively, in the form found in the dictionary. Remember also that based on their aspect, there are two types of verbs: imperfective and perfective. In forming the past tenses, three questions need to be kept in mind:

• • what is the aspect of the verb,
  • whether the last vowel of the dictionary form changes (and if so, to what), and
  • what the endings are.

The imperfect (минато определено несвршено време - МОН) is the first past tense you will learn about. It is made from imperfective verbs (although the endings below can also be added to perfective verbs in certain other contexts). For imperfective verbs that end in a in the dictionary, the a does not change. To make the imperfective, the following endings are added

• јас -в
• ти, тој, таа, тоа -ше
• ние -вме
• вие -вте
• тие -а

where the - represents the dictionary form.

• • Do you need more practice with the endings for the imperfect of a-verbs? Try a quiz with verbs needed to describe vacations (click here).
  • Think you got it? Move on to the imperfect of e-verbs (click here).

Click on the Macedonian word to hear its pronunciation.

• а - conjunction - and, uh
• во исто време - phrase - at the same time
• вчера - adverb - yesterday
• гостин - noun - guest (plural is гости)
• да - yes or "to" between two verbs
• двајца - numeral - two people (either men or one man and one woman)
• еден - numeral - one
• и - conjunction - and, also, too
• има - imperfective verb - have
• исто така - adverb - also, as well
• колега - noun - male colleague, male co-worker, male classmate in college (female is колешка)
• ли - interrogative - not translated, a marker for questions
• навистина - adverb - really, truthfully, seriously, for real
• од - preposition - from
• работа - noun - work
• сите - noun - everyone
• сум - verb - to be