Two Main Verb Conjugations (Imperfective)
Imperfective verbs describe actions that are ongoing, repeated, or not completed. In the present tense, most imperfective verbs follow one of two main patterns for their endings, depending on the verb's stem.
Conjugation 1 (often -a- stem): Includes verbs like čitati (to read), dělati (to do). 'Ja' ends in -m, 'ty' in -š, etc.
- Example: čitati -> Ja čitam (I read/am reading), Ty čitaš (You read/are reading), On/Ona/Ono čita (He/She/It reads/is reading), My čitamo (We read/are reading), Vy čitate (You read/are reading), Oni/One čitajut (They read/are reading).
Conjugation 2 (often -i-/-ě- stem): Includes verbs like govoriti (to speak), viděti (to see). 'Ja' often ends in -im (with possible consonant changes), 'ty' in -iš, etc.
- Example: govoriti -> Ja govorim (I speak/am speaking), Ty govoriš (You speak/are speaking), On/Ona/Ono govori (He/She/It speaks/is speaking), My govorimo (We speak/are speaking), Vy govorite (You speak/are speaking), Oni/Ony govoret (They speak/are speaking).