Imperfect Indicative Verbs
The imperfect tense in Greek communicates ongoing or repeated action in the past. It contrasts with the aorist, which usually describes a simple, completed past action.
There are three main uses of the imperfect:
- Progressive Imperfect (ongoing past action): Describes someone actively doing something in the past. Example: “He was teaching the crowds.”
- Inceptive Imperfect (beginning of an action): Stresses the start of an action. Example: “They began to shout.”
- Iterative Imperfect (repeated action): Highlights repeated or habitual action in the past. Example: “He kept knocking.”
In Discourse: The imperfect can sometimes serve as background information, giving a scene-setting description in contrast with the foreground action of the aorist tense.
Imperfect Indicative Paradigms
Imperfect Indicative Active
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ἔλυον | ἐλύομεν |
| 2nd | ἔλυες | ἐλύετε |
| 3rd | ἔλυεν | ἔλυον |
Imperfect Indicative Middle/Passive
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ἐλυόμην | ἐλυόμεθα |
| 2nd | ἐλύου | ἐλύεσθε |
| 3rd | ἐλύετο | ἐλύοντο |
Active Voice
- 1st sg. ἔλυον – I was loosing
- 2nd sg. ἔλυες – you were loosing
- 3rd sg. ἔλυεν – he/she/it was loosing
- 1st pl. ἐλύομεν – we were loosing
- 2nd pl. ἐλύετε – y'all were loosing
- 3rd pl. ἔλυον – they were loosing
Middle/Passive Voice
- 1st sg. ἐλυόμην – I was being loosed / I was loosing for myself
- 2nd sg. ἐλύου – you were being loosed
- 3rd sg. ἐλύετο – he/she/it was being loosed
- 1st pl. ἐλυόμεθα – we were being loosed
- 2nd pl. ἐλύεσθε – y'all were being loosed
- 3rd pl. ἐλύοντο – they were being loosed
Context determines which voice is intended, as the forms are identical.
Key Morphological Notes
- Augment (ἐ-): marks the verb as past tense.
- Connecting vowels: vary slightly between active and middle/passive.
- Endings: similar to present tense endings, but adapted for past time.
- The 1st singular and 3rd plural active forms are identical (ἔλυον), so context determines the subject.
Translation Tip: The imperfect is often best understood as “in-progress” past action. When translating, you can often render it as “was ___ing” or “kept on ___ing.”