Re: aspect vs. tense in semitic languages

> so, can anyone explain to me this relationship of aspects vs. tenses in
> semitic languages, especially hebrew?
Well, here is the Maltese version of aspect and tense. Not Hebrew I know,
but then, you know Hebrew so much better than I.

maltese essentially has aspect in the verbs, perfective and imperfective.
There is also a separate imperative form.

He wrote - kiteb
he writes - jiktbu
write - iktbu

The perfective is geneally equivalent to the English past (in its many
forms), the imperfective to the English present and future tenses.
Auxiliaries determine the remainder of the fine graduations of meaning, such
as:

ser jikteb - he will write
jrid jikteb - he wants to write (he wants he writes)

(There are a small number of 'future tense particles' which mark varying
ranges of future time)

kellu jikteb - he had to write (he had he writes)
ghandhu kiteb - he has/had written (he has he wrote)
ghandhu jikteb - he must/has to write (he has he writes)
ikollu jikteb - he will have to write (he will_have he writes)

kien kiteb - he had written (he was he wrote)
ikun jikteb - he habitually writes (he will_be he writes)

kien jikteb - he used to write (he was he writes)
kien qed kiteb - he was writing (past continuative)
qed jikteb - he is writing (present continuative) (1)

ghadu ma kitibx - he has not yet written


1 - qed is an abbreviation of an adjective

Maybe there are a few mistakes in this list - it was a quick review of my
grammar books.

---
Fabian
Ikun li dik il-kitba tpatti it-tieba ta' qalb ta' patruni tieghi.
Ikun li ttaffi ugigh tal-Mitlufin u tal-Indannati.
Ikun li ilkoll li jaqraw il-kitba, qalbhom ihobbu is-Sewwa u l-Unur.
U b'dak l'ghamil, nithallas tax-xoghol iebes.