qëndroja

Qëndroja is the imperfect indicative form of the Albanian verb qëndroj, which means to stay or to stand. It expresses an ongoing or habitual action in the past, and is usually translated into English as “I was staying” or “I used to stay.”

Grammatical notes: The imperfect forms are un qëndroja, ti qëndroje, ai/ajo qëndronte, ne qëndronim, ju qëndronit, ata/ato qëndronin. By contrast, the aorist (past definite) form qëndrova denotes a completed action: “I stayed.” The imperfect is used for background setting, ongoing actions, or repeated past activities.

Usage: The form is used to describe past actions that were in progress or repeated over time. It often appears in narration to set the scene or to express habitual behavior in the past. It can be used in a variety of registers, from everyday speech to formal writing.

Examples:

- Kur isha fëmijë, qëndroja pranë lumit çdo fundjavë. (When I was a child, I used to stay by the river every weekend.)

- Gjatë pushimeve, qëndroja në fshat me prindërit. (During the holidays, I was staying in the countryside with my parents.)

Related forms: The infinitive is qëndroj; a related noun is qëndrim, meaning “stay” or “residence.” The imperfect form contrasts with the present (qëndroj) and the aorist (qëndrova).