I was just learning imperfect...

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"