încetai

încetai is the second-person singular imperfect indicative form of the Romanian verb a înceta, meaning to cease or stop. It expresses a past action that was ongoing or habitual, roughly “you were ceasing” or “you used to cease.” In contemporary standard Romanian this form is mainly found in literature, poetry, or historical texts; in everyday speech speakers typically use other constructions to convey past nuances.

Grammatical notes: încetai is formed from the stem încet- with the imperfect endings of this verb class. The imperfect paradigm for a înceta is: eu încetam, tu încetai, el înceta, noi încetam, voi încetati, ei încetau.

Etymology and usage: a înceta is a Romance verb derived from Latin cessare, with the Romanian form reflecting Latin-based conjugation patterns. The second-person singular imperfect form încetai appeared in Classical Romanian and continues to appear in older texts. In modern standard Romanian it is largely literary or regional; more common contemporary usages convey the same past sense with other tenses or stylistic devices.

See also: a înceta; încetare; Romanian verbs.