ако

Real Conditions with Ако

Level 2Sounds Like ako

Ако + present = "if": Ако вали, ще остана вкъщи. (If it rains, I will stay home.)

How It Works

The pattern

Ако + present, then the main clause:

  • future: Ако вали, ще остана вкъщи. (If it rains, I will stay home.) See The Future With Ще.
  • command: Ако искаш, ела. (If you want, come.) See The Imperative.
  • present, for something that is always true: Ако съм уморен, лягам си рано. (If I am tired, I go to bed early.)

Both aspects work after ако

After ако you can use a perfective present such as дойдеш, видиш or помолиш, which cannot stand alone in a main clause: Ако дойдеш, ще се видим. (If you come, we will see each other.) See The Perfective Present.

Order and commas

The ако-clause can come first or second. Either way it is separated by a comma: Ще ти помогна, ако ме помолиш. (I will help you if you ask me.) See Commas Before Subordinate Clauses.

Ако не

Ако не means "if not": Ако не бързате, седнете. (If you are not in a hurry, sit down.)

Not for "whether"

English "if" can also mean "whether", as in "I don't know if he will come". Bulgarian uses дали for that, not ако. See Whether With Дали. For conditions that are not real ("if I were..."), see Unreal Present Conditions.

Examples (6)

  1. Ако вали, ще остана вкъщи.

    If it rains, I will stay home.

    The ако-clause uses the present вали, even though the rain would be in the future.

  2. Ако искаш, ела с нас.

    If you want, come with us.

  3. Ако имаш време, обади ми се.

    If you have time, call me.

  4. Ще ти помогна, ако ме помолиш.

    I will help you if you ask me.

    Помолиш is a perfective present, which is fine after ако.

  5. Ако не бързате, седнете.

    If you are not in a hurry, sit down.

  6. Ако съм уморен, лягам си рано.

    If I am tired, I go to bed early.

    A general truth: present in both clauses.

Common Mistakes

  • Using ако for "whether".

    Не знам ако ще дойде.
    Не знам дали ще дойде.

    English uses "if" for both conditions and yes-or-no questions. After знам, питам and similar verbs, Bulgarian uses дали (whether).

  • Leaving out ще in the main clause.

    Ако вали, остана вкъщи.
    Ако вали, ще остана вкъщи.

    A perfective present such as остана cannot stand alone in a main clause. Add ще to make the future.

How It Connects

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акоLevel 2Real Conditions with Ако

Learn This First

Real conditions with ако pair the present with the ще future.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

ако