LESSON 7

Present Tense

Future Tense

Past Tenses (Imperfect, Aorist, Perfect)

PRESENT TENSE
The verb tenses are one of the more complicated parts of Macedonian grammar. The verb has
three elementary tenses: present, past, and future, and a large variety of verb tenses including
the witnessed and nonwitnessed forms. Here we will present the Present Simple Tense, the
Future Simple Tense, and three Past Tenses.

Verbs in Macedonian are divided into three groups according to their ending in 3rd person
singular. Thus, there are a-verbs, -verbs, and -verbs.

Present tense expresses an action or situation that exists only now. It can also represent a
widespread truth. The forms for the present tense are formed by adding -/-/-/-/- to
the verb form in 3rd person singular (verb form in 3rd person singular + -/-/-/-/-).

Singular Plural

1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person

he/she
I watch, you watch, we watch, you watch, they watch,
watches,
I'm you're we're you're they're
he/she is
watching watching watching watching watching
watching

you sing, he/she sings, we sing, you sing, they sing,

I sing,
you're he/she is we're you're they're
I'm singing
singing singing singing singing singing

you wear, he/she wears, we wear, you wear, they wear,

I wear,
you're he/she is we're you're they're
I'm wearing
wearing wearing wearing wearing wearing
The negative paradigm is formed by using the negative particle (no, not) followed by the
forms for the present tense: + present tense. Samples: (you wear), (you
don't wear).

FUTURE TENSE
Future tense expresses an action or situation that will occur in the future. The forms for the
future tense are formed by using of the particle (shall/will) followed by the forms for the
present tense ( + present tense).

Singular Plural

1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person

I shall you will he/she will we shall you will they will
watch watch watch watch watch watch

he/she will
I shall sing you will sing we shall sing you will sing they will sing
sing

you will he/she will you will
I shall wear we shall wear they will wear
wear wear wear

The negative paradigm is formed by using the construction (literal meaning: "hasn't
to") followed by the forms for the present tense: + present tense. Samples:
(you will wear), (you will not wear).

PAST TENSE
Past tense expresses an action or situation that happened in the past. There are several simple
and complex past tenses in Macedonian. Here we will present the Imperfect, the Aorist, and
the Perfect.

I M P E R F E C T -

Singular Plural

1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd
 person

you were he/she was we were you were they were

I was watching
watching watching watching watching watching

you were he/she was we were you were they were

I was singing
singing singing singing singing singing

you were he/she was we were you were they were

I was wearing
wearing wearing wearing wearing wearing

A O R I S T -

Singular Plural

2nd 3rd
1st person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
person person

I saw you saw he/she saw we saw you saw they saw

you he/she
I sung we sung you sung they sung
sung sung

you he/she
I wore we wore you wore they wore
wore wore

P E R F E C T -

Singular Plural

1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person

(masc.) (masc.) we have/had you have/had they have/had
(masc.) watched; watched; watched,
(fem.) (fem.) we have/had you have/had they have/had
o o been been been
(fem.) (neut.) (neut.) watching watching watching
you have/had he/she/it
o watched; has/had
(neut.) you have/had watched;
I have/had been he/she/it
watched; watching has/had been
I have/had watching
been
watching

or, as a parallel form are used the (have) constructions:

The past tenses negative paradigm is formed by using the negative particle (no, not)
followed by the verb forms for the past tenses: + past tense. Samples: (you wore),
(you didn't wear); (I have watched), (I haven't
watched). The negative paradigm of (have) constructions is formed replacing of
(have) with (haven't). Samples: (I have watched), (I
haven't watched).