The Mediopassive Imperfect (-όμουν)
The mediopassive IMPERFECT - the ongoing/habitual past of the voice - runs on ONE series for both ending types: -όμουν, -όσουν, -όταν, -όμασταν, -όσασταν, -ονταν. χάνομαι → χανόμουν (“I was getting lost”), κοιμάμαι → κοιμόμουν (“I was sleeping”), φοβάμαι → φοβόμουν (“I was afraid”). The stress sits on the -ό- of the ending through the singular and 1st/2nd plural; the 3rd plural -ονταν keeps the stem stress (χάνονταν), exactly like the present -ονται. This is the mediopassive counterpart of the active έγραφα / αγαπούσα - same job (imperfective past), one shared set of endings.
The rule
The mediopassive imperfect - the ongoing/habitual past of the voice - uses one series for both present types: -όμουν, -όσουν, -όταν, -όμασταν, -όσασταν, -ονταν. χάνομαι → χανόμουν (“I was getting lost”), κοιμάμαι → κοιμόμουν, φοβάμαι → φοβόμουν. The stress sits on the -ό- of the ending through the singular and 1st/2nd plural; the 3rd plural -ονταν keeps the stem stress (χάνονταν), like the present -ονται. It is the mediopassive twin of the active έγραφα / αγαπούσα - same job, one shared set of endings.
Paradigm
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | χανόμουν† | χανόμασταν† |
| 2nd | χανόσουν† | χανόσασταν† |
| 3rd | χανόταν† | χάνονταν† |
- Imperfect on the -όμουν series ("I was getting lost / kept disappearing").
- Imperfect 1pl: -όμασταν.
- Imperfect 2sg: -όσουν.
- Imperfect 2pl: -όσασταν.
- Imperfect 3sg: -όταν.
- Imperfect 3pl: -ονταν (stem stress).
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | κοιμόμουν† | κοιμόμασταν† |
| 2nd | κοιμόσουν† | κοιμόσασταν† |
| 3rd | κοιμόταν† | κοιμόνταν† |
- Contracted -άμαι imperfect on the -όμουν series ("I was sleeping"). The stress moves onto the -ό- of the ending.
- Imperfect 1pl: -όμασταν. VARIANT: κοιμόμαστε also occurs.
- Imperfect 2sg: -όσουν.
- Imperfect 2pl: -όσασταν. VARIANT: κοιμόσαστε also occurs.
- Imperfect 3sg: -όταν ("he/she was sleeping").
- Imperfect 3pl: -όνταν. VARIANT: κοιμόντουσαν also occurs.