Language/Macedonian/Grammar/Present-Tense
Introduction
Welcome to the Macedonian Grammar lesson about the present tense! In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense and practice with examples. This lesson is designed for complete beginners and is part of the "Complete 0 to A1 Macedonian Course".
Verbs are essential elements of every language. In Macedonian, we use verbs to express actions, states, and events. For example, "јас пијам кафе" (jas pijam kafe) means "I am drinking coffee". The verb "пијам" (pijam) indicates that the action is happening now, so we use it in the present tense.
In Macedonian, we have two types of verbs: regular and irregular. We will start with regular verbs, which follow specific patterns in their conjugation. In this lesson, we will use the verb "говорам" (govoram) as an example, which means "to speak" in English.
Conjugation of Regular Verbs in Present Tense
The present tense of regular verbs in Macedonian is formed by adding specific endings to the verb stem. Here is the conjugation for the verb "говорам" (govoram):
| Person | Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Јас (jas) | -ам (-am) | Јас говорам (Jas govoram) |
| Ти (ti) | -аш (-aš) | Ти говориш (Ti govoriš) |
| Тој/Таа/Тоа (toj/taa/toa) | -а (-a) | Тој говори (Toj govori) |
| Ние (nie) | -аме (-ame) | Ние говориме (Nie govorime) |
| Вие (vie) | -ате (-ate) | Вие говорите (Vie govorite) |
| Тие (tie) | -аат (-aat) | Тие говорат (Tie govorat) |
As you can see, the endings change depending on the subject of the sentence. For example, "јас говорам" (jas govoram) means "I speak", while "ти говориш" (ti govoriš) means "you speak".
It is essential to note that the verb stem usually stays the same, but there are some exceptions, such as the verb "сум" (sum), which means "to be". Its present tense conjugation is:
| Person | Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Јас (jas) | сум (sum) | Јас сум (Jas sum) |
| Ти (ti) | си (si) | Ти си (Ti si) |
| Тој/Таа/Тоа (toj/taa/toa) | е (e) | Тој е (Toj e) |
| Ние (nie) | сме (sme) | Ние сме (Nie sme) |
| Вие (vie) | сте (ste) | Вие сте (Vie ste) |
| Тие (tie) | се (se) | Тие се (Tie se) |
Examples
Here are some examples of how to use regular verbs in the present tense:
- Јас мислам за тебе. (Jas mislam za tebe.) - I am thinking about you.
- Ти читаш книга. (Ti čitaš kniga.) - You are reading a book.
- Тој говори англиски. (Toj govori angliski.) - He speaks English.
- Ние слушаме музика. (Nie slušame muzika.) - We are listening to music.
- Вие играте тенис. (Vie igrate tenis.) - You are playing tennis.
- Тие гледаат филм. (Tie gledaat film.) - They are watching a movie.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have learned how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense in Macedonian. Remember to practice these conjugations to become more comfortable with them. In the next lesson, you will learn how to conjugate regular verbs in the past tense.