The Imperfect (Imperfective Past)
The imperfect is the IMPERFECTIVE past - ongoing or habitual action. Group-1 verbs build it on the present stem with the endings -α, -ες, -ε, -αμε, -ατε, -αν, adding the augment é- where the word would otherwise be too short: γράφω → έγραφα (“I was writing / used to write”).
The rule
The imperfect is the imperfective past - an action seen as ongoing or habitual. Group-1 verbs add the augment έ- plus the endings -α, -ες, -ε, -αμε, -ατε, -αν: γράφω → έγραφα (“I was writing”). Group-2 verbs instead use the -ούσα series: αγαπώ → αγαπούσα (“I used to love”). Both say the action was in progress, never complete.
Paradigm
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | έγραφα | γράφαμε |
| 2nd | έγραφες | γράφατε |
| 3rd | έγραφε | έγραφαν |
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | αγαπούσα | αγαπούσαμε |
| 2nd | αγαπούσες | αγαπούσατε |
| 3rd | αγαπούσε | αγαπούσαν |