The second past: έβρεχε against έβρεξε
You know the aorist: it takes the action whole. Beside it lives the imperfect — the past of what stretched on, repeated or served as backdrop. English draws the same line with "it was raining" against "it rained": έβρεχε — was raining, έβρεξε — rained and stopped. For example: “Χθες έβρεχε όλη μέρα” — Yesterday it rained all day. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
You know the aorist: it takes the action whole. Beside it lives the imperfect — the past of what stretched on, repeated or served as backdrop. English draws the same line with "it was raining" against "it rained": έβρεχε (évrekhe) — was raining, έβρεξε (évrekse) — rained and stopped.
The imperfect is built from the present stem — that is what separates it from the aorist, which swaps the stem. To the stem come the endings -α (-a), -ες, -ε, -αμε, -ατε, -αν (-an), and the stress moves to the third syllable from the end; if there are not enough syllables, an ε- grows in front: γράφω (gráfo) → έγραφα.
For verbs in -άω the stem stretches before the ending: μιλάω (miláo) → μιλούσα, αγαπάω → αγαπούσα. Not an exception — a second regular pattern.
Two verbs are worth memorizing separately. είμαι (íme) has an imperfect (ήμουν (ímun)) and no aorist at all — Greek does not say "was, once, briefly". And with κάνω (káno) the two forms coincided letter for letter: έκανα (ékana) — both "I was doing" and "I did"; the neighboring phrase decides.
Table
| present | imperfect | aorist |
|---|---|---|
| γράφω | έγραφα — I was writing | έγραψα — I wrote |
| δουλεύω | δούλευα — I was working | δούλεψα — I worked (and finished) |
| βλέπω | έβλεπα — I was watching | είδα — I saw |
| βρέχει | έβρεχε — it was raining | έβρεξε — it rained |
| είμαι | ήμουν — I was | — |
By example
- Χθες έβρεχε όλη μέραkhthes évrekhe óli méraYesterday it rained all day
- Τον χειμώνα δούλευα στην Αθήναton khimóna dúleva stin AthínaIn winter I worked in Athens
- Ήμουν άρρωστος τη Δευτέραímun árostos ti DeftéraOn Monday I was ill
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Greek aorist vs imperfect?
You know the aorist: it takes the action whole. Beside it lives the imperfect — the past of what stretched on, repeated or served as backdrop. English draws the same line with "it was raining" against "it rained": έβρεχε — was raining, έβρεξε — rained and stopped.
Έβρεχε vs έβρεξε?
The imperfect is built from the present stem — that is what separates it from the aorist, which swaps the stem. To the stem come the endings -α, -ες, -ε, -αμε, -ατε, -αν, and the stress moves to the third syllable from the end; if there are not enough syllables, an ε- grows in front: γράφω → έγραφα.
Greek imperfect or aorist: which one?
For verbs in -άω the stem stretches before the ending: μιλάω → μιλούσα, αγαπάω → αγαπούσα. Not an exception — a second regular pattern.
How to say it was raining and it rained in Greek?
Two verbs are worth memorizing separately. είμαι has an imperfect (ήμουν) and no aorist at all — Greek does not say "was, once, briefly". And with κάνω the two forms coincided letter for letter: έκανα — both "I was doing" and "I did"; the neighboring phrase decides.
Why είμαι has no aorist?
Two verbs are worth memorizing separately. είμαι has an imperfect (ήμουν) and no aorist at all — Greek does not say "was, once, briefly". And with κάνω the two forms coincided letter for letter: έκανα — both "I was doing" and "I did"; the neighboring phrase decides.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Χθες έβρεχε όλη μέρα” (khthes évrekhe óli méra) — Yesterday it rained all day. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.