User:Aegon/High Valyrian Tutorial/3-4
Lesson 4| The Imperfect
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Imperative | Participle | Infinitive | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | ||||||||||||||||
| 1s | 2s | 3s | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl | 1s | 2s | 3s | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl | 2s | 2pl | ||||||||
| Active | |||||||||||||||||||||
| prs. | √-an | √-ā | √-as | √-i | √-āt | √-is | √-on | √-ō | √-os | √-oty | √-ōt | √-osy | √-ās | √-ātās | √-are (adj. II) | √-agon | |||||
| aor. | √-in | √-ia | √-is | √-iti | √-iat | √-isi | √-un | √-ua | √-us | √-uty | √-uat | √-usy | √-iās | √-iātās | √-ire (adj. II) | √-igon | |||||
| fut. | √-inna | √-ilā | √-ilza | √-ili | √-ilāt | √-ilzi | √-ilun | √-ilū | √-ilus | √-iluty | √-ilūt | √-ilusy | √-ilās | √-ilātās | √-ilare (adj. II) | — | |||||
| npfv. | √-ilen | √-ilē | √-iles | √-ilin | √-ilēt | √-ilis | √-ilon | √-ilō | √-ilos | √-iloty | √-ilōt | √-ilosy | — | — | |||||||
| pfv. | √P-an | √P-ā | √P-as | √P-i | √P-āt | √P-is | √P-on | √P-ō | √P-os | √P-oty | √P-ōt | √P-osy | — | see below | √P-agon | ||||||
| plup. | √P-en | √P-ē | √P-es | √P-in | √P-ēt | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| phab. | √P-in | √P-ia | √P-is | √P-iti | √P-iat | √P-isi | √P-un | √P-ua | √P-us | √P-uty | √P-uat | √P-usy | √P-re (adj. II) | ||||||||
| Passive | prs. | √-aks | √-āks | √-aks | √-aksi | √-āks | √-aksi | √-oks | √-ōks | √-oks | √-oksy | √-ōks | √-oksy | √-āks | — | √-akson | |||||
| aor. | √-iks | √-iaks | √-iks | √-iksi | √-iaks | √-iksi | √-uks | √-uaks | √-uks | √-uksy | √-uaks | √-uksy | √-iāks | √-iarza (adj. I) | √-iakson | ||||||
| fut. | √-ilaks | √-ilāks | √-ilaks | √-iliks | √-ilāks | √-iliks | √-iluks | √-ilūks | √-iluks | √-iluksy | √-ilūks | √-iluksy | √-ilāks | √-ilaksa (adj. I) | — | ||||||
| npfv. | √-ileks | √-ilēks | √-ileks | √-ilēks | √-iloks | √-ilōks | √-iloks | √-iloksy | √-ilōks | √-iloksy | — | — | |||||||||
| pfv. | √P-aks | √P-āks | √P-aks | √P-aksi | √P-āks | √P-aksi | √P-oks | √P-ōks | √P-oks | √P-oksy | √P-ōks | √P-oksy | — | √P-a (Adj. I) | √P-akson | ||||||
| plup. | √P-eks | √P-ēks | √P-eks | √P-iks | √P-ēks | √P-iks | — | — | |||||||||||||
| phab. | √P-iks | √P-iaks | √P-iks | √P-iksi | √P-iaks | √P-iksi | √P-uks | √P-uaks | √P-uks | √P-uksy | √P-uaks | √P-uksy | √P-iarza (adj. I) | ||||||||
Vocabulary
| Lesson Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| High Valyrian | English |
| parklon (3ter.) | meat |
| gierion (3ter.) | people |
| gīs (3sol.) | soul, spirit |
| arlinnon (3ter.) | change, metamorphosis |
| issaros (3sol.) | being, individual |
The Present Imperfect
The imperfect combines the past tense (reference to a past time) and the imperfective aspect (referring to an ongoing verbal action).
English has a similar construct called the progressive past. Actions seem incomplete, and so merit the imperfect label. For example, "I was running," "We were sailing," "They were calling." Note that 'to be' is always there.
Regardless of language, the concept of an imperfect is important. The imperfect, in the grammatical sense, means not finished - that the action could be or could not be completed. Perfect instead means it has been finished - "I saw" (the perfect) expresses that you have already seen, and are now finished seeing. "I was seeing" (the imperfect) implies that the action is not yet completed.
The perfect tense is a more immediate reference to the past. The name, imperfect, helps you remember its use: in situations where you can't say when an event started or ended or happened, you must use the imperfect.
In situations where you can know when an event started or ended or happened, use the perfect.