qëndronin

Qëndronin is the third-person plural imperfect tense form of the Albanian verb qëndroj, which means to stay, reside, or remain. The form is used to describe past actions or states that were ongoing or habitual, often serving as background information in narratives.

Morphology and usage: The verb qëndroj belongs to the group of Albanian verbs with regular present stems; qëndronin is formed by attaching the imperfect ending -in to the present stem qëndron-. Other imperfect forms exist for different persons: un qëndroja, ti qëndroje, ai/ajo qëndronte, ne qëndronim, ju qëndronit, ata qëndronin. The orthography uses ë in the stem and -in in the ending.

Usage notes: The imperfect is used for past habitual actions, ongoing past states, and scene-setting. It contrasts with the aorist/past simple form (e.g., qëndrova) and with the perfect forms (kam qëndruar) when describing completed past actions or events.

Examples: Ata qëndronin mbi malin gjatë natës. Familjet qëndronin afër njëri-tjetrit gjatë verës. These sentences illustrate how the form expresses ongoing past activity involving multiple subjects.

See also: Related terms include qëndrim (a stay, residence) and the verb qëndroj (to stay).