Today we're learning about the continuous past or imperfect. All linguistic terms aside, it is not as complicated as the name sounds. Let's first learn how to form it and then I will explain the use with some examples.
🕔 Present tense stem + idem, ideñ, etc:
min bara idem – i was going
sin bara ideñ – you were going
ul bara ide – he/she was going
bez bara idek – we were going
sez bara idegez – you were going
alar bara ide(lәr) – they were going
min kitә idem – i was leaving
sin kitә ideñ – you were leaving
ul kitә ide – he/she was leaving
bez kitә idek – we were leaving
sez kitә idegez – you were leaving
alar kitә ide(lәr) – they were leaving
min cırlıy idem – i was singing
sin cırlıy ideñ – you were singing
ul cırlıy ide – he/she was singing
bez cırlıy idek – we were singing
sez cırlıy idegez – you were singing
alar cırlıy ide(lәr) – they were singing
min biyi idem – i was dancing
sin biyi ideñ – you were dancing
ul biyi ide – he/she was dancing
bez biyi idek – we were dancing
sez biyi idegez – you were dancing
alar biyi ide(lәr) – they were dancing
🕔 The negative form affects only the first verb:
min cırlamıy idem / biyemi idem
🕔 So when is imperfect used?
⏳ This verb form mostly indicates an action taking place when a second action occurs:
Min aşxanәgә kerep barğanda, ul çığıp kilә ide.
When I was about to enter the restaurant, she was leaving.
⏳ It may indicate an action occurring at the moment of speaking:
Xәzer Ğabbasım, xәzer. Çığıp bara idem.
Just a moment, my Ghabbas, just a moment. I was just leaving.
⏳ It can also indicate an action performed more or less regularly, habitually, or a permanent quality of the subject:
Ul üzenә keşe kilgәnne bik yarata ide, axrısı, çönki bülmәsenә keşe küp kilә ide.
He apparently enjoyed people visiting him very much, for a lot of people used to come into his room.
Ul hәrwaqıt yәşlәr icatı belәn qızıqsına ide, yәşlәrgә ışana ide.
He was always interested in the creative work of the young, he believed in young people.
⏳ Imperfect may also serve as a background for the development of other events:
Uramda qar yawa ide. Aq uramnan qara kiyemle keşelәr aşığa-aşığa baralar ide. “Sufiyәga bu xәbәrne niçek әytergә?” – dip uyladı. Ul bit inde zur ömetlәr belәn kötә.
It was snowing outside. People dressed in black clothes were hurrying along the white street. ‘How do I tell Sufia this news?’ he thought. After all, she is waiting with great hopes.
🕔 There are also other cases, in which the continuous past is used, but these are the main ones. Hope this was helpful! If you have any questions, leave them in the comment section below.
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Based on "Tatar Grammar. A Grammar of the Contemporary Tatar Literary Language" by Gustav Burbiel
All examples are taken from Tatar literature:
Әmirxan Yeniki, "Yörәk sere"
Ayaz Ğilәcev, "Bez unike qız idek"
Zәkiyә Rәsuleva, "Tuqay ezlәrennәn", M. Maqsud, "Ğ. İbrahimov turında istәleklәr"
İbrahim Ğazi, "Ğәyepsez ğәyeplelәr"