Verb Conjugations (Present Tense - Imperfective)
Imperfective verbs describe actions that are ongoing, repeated, or not completed. In the present tense, Church Slavonic verbs follow several conjugation patterns based on their stem and infinitive ending. Church Slavonic has singular, dual, and plural forms in the present tense.
-а- stem conjugation: Includes verbs like чита́ти (to read), дѣ́лати (to do).
- Example: чита́ти -> Sg: А́зъ чита́ѭ (I read/am reading), Тꙑ̀ чита́ѥши, То́й чита́ѥтъ. Du: Вѣ̀ чита́ѥвѣ, Въі чита́ѥта, О́нѣ чита́ѥтѣ. Pl: Мꙑ̀ чита́ѥмъ, Вꙑ̀ чита́ѥте, О́ни чита́ѭтъ.
-ѣ- stem conjugation: Includes verbs like имѣ́ти (to have).
- Example: имѣ́ти -> Sg: А́зъ имѣ́ѭ, Тꙑ̀ имѣ́ѥши, То́й имѣ́ѥтъ. Du: Вѣ̀ имѣ́ѥвѣ, Въі имѣ́ѥта, О́нѣ имѣ́ѥтѣ. Pl: Мꙑ̀ имѣ́ѥмъ, Вꙑ̀ имѣ́ѥте, О́ни имѣ́ѭтъ.
-и- stem conjugation: Includes verbs like говори́ти (to speak).
- Example: говори́ти -> Sg: А́зъ говорꙋ̀ (I speak/am speaking), Тꙑ̀ гово́риши, То́й гово́ритъ. Du: Вѣ̀ гово́ривѣ, Въі гово́рита, О́нѣ гово́ритѣ. Pl: Мꙑ̀ гово́римъ, Вꙑ̀ гово́рите, О́ни глаго́лютъ (Note: A different stem is often used in the plural for some verbs).