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The imperfect: was doing

The tense sign -bā- for actions going on in the past.

LatinIntermediate Latin · Verbs: the present systemAbout 4 min: 1 reading, 3 practiceUpdated

After this lesson you can
  • Form the imperfect of amō and moneō
  • Recognise the tense sign -bā-
  • Translate the imperfect as "was …ing" or "used to"
Latin Level 2: verbs and the other declensions: lesson 3 of 35
  1. Intermediate Latin · Verbs: the present system
  2. sum: I am, I was, I shall be 3 min
  3. The present of amō and moneō 4 min
  4. The imperfect: was doing 4 min
  5. The future: will do 3 min
  6. The dative with adjectives 3 min
  7. The present of regō and audiō 4 min
  8. The imperfect of regō and audiō, and verbs that take the dative 3 min
  9. The future of regō and audiō 3 min
  10. capiō, and giving orders 3 min
  11. Intermediate Latin · The passive voice
  12. The passive: being done to 3 min
  13. The passive of regō, audiō and capiō; passive infinitives 3 min
  14. Synopses, and the ablative of "from" 3 min
  15. Intermediate Latin · The perfect tenses
  16. fuī, fueram, fuerō: the perfect tenses of sum 3 min
  17. The perfect active: did, have done 5 min
  18. Had done, will have done: pluperfect and future perfect active 3 min
  19. amātus sum: the perfect passive 4 min
  20. Principal parts, prepositions, and yes-or-no questions 5 min
  21. possum, "I can", and the infinitive 3 min
  22. Intermediate Latin · Pronouns
  23. quī, quae, quod: who, which, that 4 min
  24. Intermediate Latin · The third declension
  25. rēx, rēgis: the third declension 4 min
  26. hostis, urbs, mare: i-stems 4 min
  27. vīs and iter; gender in the third declension 4 min
  28. omnis, ācer, pār: third-declension adjectives 3 min
  29. Intermediate Latin · The fourth and fifth declensions
  30. manus, cornū: the fourth declension 3 min
  31. Rōmae, domī, Athēnīs: place and the locative 4 min
  32. diēs, rēs: the fifth declension and the ablative of time 3 min
  33. Intermediate Latin · Pronouns
  34. ego, tū, sē: personal and reflexive pronouns 4 min
  35. ipse, "himself", and īdem, "the same" 3 min
  36. hic, iste, ille: this and that 4 min
  37. aliquis, quīdam, quisque: someone, a certain, each 3 min
  38. Intermediate Latin · Comparison
  39. clārior, clārissimus: comparing adjectives 4 min
  40. melior, optimus: irregular comparison, plūs, and "by how much" 3 min
  41. clārē, fortiter: adverbs and their comparison 4 min
  42. Intermediate Latin · Numerals
  43. ūnus, duo, trēs: numerals, "of" the whole, and "for how long" 5 min
  44. Intermediate Latin · Deponent verbs
  45. hortor, sequor: deponent verbs 3 min

Try first

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Pairs with D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (Ginn, 1909), Lesson XX ("Imperfect Active Indicative of amō and moneō"), §§ 132–134

What it is

Latin builds tenses with tense signs instead of helper words like "was". The imperfect's sign is -bā-, placed between the stem and the ending:

amōmoneō
Iamābammonēbam
youamābāsmonēbās
he, she, itamābatmonēbat
weamābāmusmonēbāmus
you (pl.)amābātismonēbātis
theyamābantmonēbant

(The first person uses -m, not -ō: amābam.)

Quick check

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  1. What is the tense sign in laudābat?

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    -bā-. laudā- (stem) + ba (tense sign) + t (he).

Why it matters

The imperfect describes things going on in the past, or that used to happen: the scene behind a story. Latin stories use it constantly for background.

Worked example

  • Agricola agrōs arābat. → The farmer was ploughing the fields.
  • Puerī in lūdō saepe labōrābant. → The boys often used to work at school.
  • Rēgīna fīliās monēbat. → The queen was warning her daughters.

Common mistake

Translating the imperfect as a single finished action ("he ploughed once"). It shows something in progress or repeated: was ploughing, used to plough. The completed past comes later, with the perfect tense.

Key terms

tense sign
letters added to show the tense: -bā- for the imperfect
imperfect
was doing / used to do
saepe
often
arō, arāre
plough

Practise the key terms

Tap a card to turn it over. 4 cards.

FrontBack
tense signletters added to show the tense: -bā- for the imperfect
imperfectwas doing / used to do
saepeoften
arō, arāreplough

Practice

Quick quiz

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  1. "They were calling"

    Show answer

    vocābant. vocā- + ba + nt.

  2. "We used to see"

    Show answer

    vidēbāmus. vidē- + bā + mus.

  3. Best translation of Mārcus pugnābat:

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    Marcus was fighting.. -bā- marks the imperfect.

Recognition drill

Pick the right answer, as fast as you can.

All pairs

Tap a card to turn it over. 6 cards.

FrontBack
portābamI was carrying
habēbāsyou used to have
laudābathe was praising
monēbāmuswe were warning
parābātisyou (pl.) were preparing
dēlēbantthey were destroying

Practise speaking

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You are a patient Latin tutor. Use the classical pronunciation only, never the Church one: c is always k, g is always hard, v sounds like w, ae like the ai in aisle, and long vowels are held longer. Speak slowly. Use only these Latin words: amō, moneō, arō, laudō, habeō, saepe. Give me an English phrase like 'they were ploughing' or 'we used to warn', and I will say the imperfect in Latin. Do 10 forms. After each answer, tell me what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again, then tell me one thing to improve. Keep every reply under 2 sentences. If I need a name or a town, I will make one up. Speak English except for the Latin itself.

Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.

Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. This course teaches the classical pronunciation (see lesson 1); AI voices may mix it with the Church (Italian-style) one, so ask for classical and check against lesson 1. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.

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In short

  • Imperfect = stem + -bā- + ending.
  • First person ends in -m: amābam.
  • Meaning: was …ing, used to …, kept …ing.
  • Same pattern for the 1st and 2nd conjugations.

Mastery check

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Check yourself

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  1. Give "you (one) were carrying".

    Show answer

    portābās.

  2. What is -bā-?

    Show answer

    The tense sign of the imperfect.

  3. Translate Equōs cūrābant.

    Show answer

    They were caring for the horses.

Further reading

  • D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lesson XX, §§ 132–134. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.