shpresoja

Shpresoja is the first-person singular imperfect form of the Albanian verb shpresoj, meaning to hope. It translates as I hoped or I used to hope, depending on context. The imperfect form expresses a past action or state of hoping, often indicating a continued or habitual expectation in the past.

Usage and function: Shpresoja is used to describe hopes held in the past. It can appear in clauses introduced by que or that, or with verbs of wishing and expectation. For example: Unë shpresoja që ai do të kthehej shëndetshëm nga udhëtimi (I hoped that he would return from the trip safely). Another example: Kur isha i vogël, unë shpresoja të bëhesha piktor (When I was young, I hoped to become a painter). In narrative, it can set a past scene of longing or anticipation.

Formation and related forms: The verb shpresoj means “to hope.” The past imperfect form is built by adding the imperfect suffix to the stem shpres-, giving shpresoja. Related forms include shpresoj (present), shpresaj (subjunctive forms in certain constructions), and the noun shpresë, which means “hope.” The two are etymologically connected as the root conveys the concept of hoping.

See also: shpresë, shpresoj, besim, optimizëm.

Note: As a common everyday verb, shpresoja appears frequently in both literary and colloquial Albanian to convey past or habitual hopeful states.