The Imperfect Tense

Can you translate this sentence? Click on each word to reveal its meaning, then click below to see the full translation.

Starter Sentence:

dominus epistulam scribēbat

Breaking it down:

dominus → the master (nominative)

epistulam → a letter (accusative)

scribēbat → he/she was writing (imperfect tense)

💡 Click to see the full translation

The master was writing a letter

Notice the new ending -ēbat — this tells us the action was happening in the past!

What is the Imperfect Tense?

All the verbs we have met so far have been in the present tense — the action is happening now. To describe an action that happened in the past, and over a period of time, we use the imperfect tense.

Present Tense

portō

Click to see meaning

I carry

Action happening now

Imperfect Tense

portābam

Click to see meaning

I was carrying

Action happening in the past, over a period of time

Basic meaning

was/were X-ing

I was carrying the food into the garden.

📖 Where does "imperfect" come from?

The term imperfect comes from Latin imperfectus, which literally means unfinished (as opposed to the modern sense of "faulty").

An action was happening, but it was interrupted, and so unfinished — as in I was writing the letter when...

Setting the Scene

The imperfect tense is often used to give background to a story — describing what was happening when something else occurred.

Imperfect Tense Endings

The imperfect tense has its own set of endings. It uses a distinctive syllable -ba- onto which are attached the basic person endings we met in Chapter One.

The distinctive imperfect marker

-ba-

If you see -ba- in a verb, it's imperfect tense!

sg 1

-bam

I was X-ing

2

-bās

you (sg) were X-ing

3

-bat

he/she/it was X-ing

pl 1

-bāmus

we were X-ing

2

-bātis

you (pl) were X-ing

3

-bant

they were X-ing

Note!

The first person singular uses -m rather than -ō as the basic person ending. This is the only difference from the present tense person endings.

How to Form the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect endings are attached to the verb stem, with the characteristic vowel for the conjugation inserted in between.

Special note: 4th conjugation

The 4th conjugation uses -ie-, not just -i- as it does in the present tense and the infinitive.

1st
portō

2nd
moneō

3rd
trahō

4th
audiō

infinitive

portāre

monēre

trahere

audīre

sg 1

portabam

monēbam

trahēbam

audiēbam

2

portabās

monēbās

trahēbās

audiēbās

3

portabat

monēbat

trahēbat

audiēbat

pl 1

portabāmus

monēbāmus

trahēbāmus

audiēbāmus

2

portabātis

monēbātis

trahēbātis

audiēbātis

3

portabant

monēbant

trahēbant

audiēbant

The pattern

stem + characteristic vowel + ba + person ending

porta + ba + m = portābam

Translating the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense has three main translation options. You need to choose the best one depending on the context.

Three ways to translate portābam:

1️⃣ Click to reveal: was/were X-ing (basic meaning)

1. was/were X-ing (basic meaning)

I was carrying

Use this most of the time — it emphasises the ongoing nature of the action

2️⃣ Click to reveal: simple past (X-ed)

2. simple past (X-ed)

I carried

Some verbs (e.g. habeō, amō) sound odd with "was/were", so use the simple past

3️⃣ Click to reveal: used to X

3. used to X

I used to carry

When there's a contrast between past and present, or when describing habitual actions

Example with habeō:

villam Rōmae habēbam

💡 Click to see the translation

I had a house in Rome

(not "I was having" — that sounds odd!)

Example with "used to":

cibum parābam; nunc epistulās dominī scrībō

💡 Click to see the translation

I used to prepare the food; now I write the master's letters

The contrast with "now" makes "used to" the best translation

⏱️ Time how long expressions

An imperfect tense verb is often accompanied by a time how long expression, telling us the duration of the action.

quīnque annōs Rōmae labōrābāmus

We were working in Rome for five years

or We worked in Rome for five years

Exercise 3.1: Translate into English

Click each verb to reveal the translation.

1. iubēbāmus

we were ordering

2. salūtābam

I was greeting

3. mittēbātis

you (pl) were sending

4. veniēbat

he/she/it was coming

5. scribēbās

you (sg) were writing

6. dabant

they were giving

7. puniēbam

I was punishing

8. bibēbāmus

we were drinking

9. clāmābās

you (sg) were shouting

10. terrēbat

he/she/it was frightening

Exercise 3.4: Translate into English

Click each sentence to reveal the translation.

1. virī equum ex hortō trahēbant.

The men were dragging the horse out of the garden.

2. ancilla amīcōs per agrōs dūcēbat.

The slave-girl was leading her friends through the fields.

3. deī et deae pugnābant.

The gods and goddesses were fighting.

4. amīcōs dē perīculīs bellī monēbātis.

You (pl) were warning your friends about the dangers of war.

5. puerī in templō dormiēbant.

The boys were sleeping in the temple.

6. fēmina iubēbat ancillās in hortō labōrāre.

The woman was ordering the slave-girls to work in the garden.

7. pecūniam gladiīs custōdiēbāmus.

We were guarding the money with swords.

8. puella equōs timēbat.

The girl was afraid of horses. (or: The girl feared horses.)

9. nūntiī in templō deae sedēbant.

The messengers were sitting in the temple of the goddess.

10. librum dē bellō scribēbam.

I was writing a book about the war.

Exercise 3.6: Translate into Latin

Click each sentence to reveal the Latin.

1. The master was sleeping in the house.

dominus in villā dormiēbat.

2. Men were walking to the walls of the temple.

virī ad mūrōs templī ambulābant.

3. We were dragging our friend out of the inn.

amīcum ē tabernā trahēbāmus.

4. I used to sail to the islands.

ad īnsulās nāvigābam.

5. You (sg) had a shop in Rome for ten years.

decem annōs tabernam Rōmae habēbās.