каб + Past Tense
Indirect Commands and Wishes with Каб
English says I want you to come. Belarusian says Я хачу, каб ты прыйшоў: каб + a past-tense form that agrees with ты.
How It Works
When to use it. After verbs of wanting, asking and ordering: хацець, прасіць, папрасіць, сказаць (tell someone to), раіць (advise), патрабаваць (demand). It also comes after трэба, важна, лепш and after хацеў бы.
The form. Каб is followed by the past-tense form, which agrees with its own subject in gender and number:
- Я хачу, каб ты прыйшоў. (to a man)
- Я хачу, каб ты прыйшла. (to a woman)
- Я хачу, каб вы прыйшлі. (to a group or polite Вы)
The time is not past. Каб already contains the particle б of the conditional, so каб ты прыйшоў means that you should come. It can refer to now or to the future.
Same person: use the infinitive. If the subject wants to do something themselves, there is no каб clause: Я хачу прыйсці. (I want to come.) Compare Я хачу, каб ты прыйшоў. (I want you to come.)
Purpose with a different person. The same form gives the purpose when someone else will act: Я пакінуў ключ, каб ты магла ўвайсці. (I left the key so that you could get in.) With the same person, use каб + infinitive.
Reported orders. This is how requests are passed on in reported speech: «Вярніся рана!» → Мама сказала, каб я вярнуўся рана. Compare Мама сказала, што я вярнуўся рана, which states a fact: Mom said that I came back early.
Examples (6)
- Я хачу, каб ты прыйшоў.
I want you to come.
Word by Word: I want, so-that you came.
Said to a man. To a woman: каб ты прыйшла.
- Мама сказала, каб я вярнуўся рана.
Mom told me to come back early.
Word by Word: Mom said, so-that I returned early.
- Настаўнік папрасіў, каб мы гаварылі цішэй.
The teacher asked us to speak more quietly.
Word by Word: Teacher asked, so-that we spoke quieter.
- Трэба, каб усе ведалі пра гэта.
Everyone needs to know about this.
Word by Word: Necessary, so-that all knew about this.
- Я пакінуў ключ, каб ты магла ўвайсці.
I left the key so that you could get in.
Word by Word: I left key, so-that you could enter.
- Бацькі не хочуць, каб сын ехаў так далёка.
The parents don't want their son to go so far away.
Word by Word: Parents not want, so-that son went so far.
Common Mistakes
Using the present or future after каб.
Я хачу, каб ты прыйдзеш.Я хачу, каб ты прыйшоў.After каб, the verb takes the past-tense form even for a future wish.
Copying the English pattern want someone to do.
Я хачу цябе прыйсці.Я хачу, каб ты прыйшоў.Хацець cannot take a person plus an infinitive. When someone else should act, use a каб clause with its own subject.
Using a каб clause when the subject is the same.
Я хачу, каб я паехаў у Мінск.Я хачу паехаць у Мінск.If the same person wants and acts, use the infinitive directly.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Indirect commands need purpose каб and the past.
Related Patterns
- Reported Speech
Reported commands and requests use this construction.
Level 4 - Conditional with б/быThe Conditional with Б and Бы
Каб + past is a form of the conditional mood.
Level 3 - хацеў быPolite Wishes with Хацеў Бы
A polite wish that often continues with a каб clause.
Level 3 - каб in WishesWishes with Каб
Каб with the past tense on its own expresses a wish.
Level 5 - мне трэбаNeeding with Трэба
Трэба, каб … says that someone else needs to do something.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice каб + Past Tense in Bubblegum
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