бихте ли + -л Participle

Very Polite Requests with Бихте Ли

Level 4Sounds Like bihte li

Бихте ли затворили вратата? (Would you mind closing the door?) This is one of the most polite ways to ask for something.

How It Works

1. The forms of бих. бих, би, би, бихме, бихте, биха + л-participle make the conditional mood. In requests you mostly need бихте (polite or plural you) and би (familiar you).

2. Why the participle is plural. Polite Вие takes plural agreement on the participle: Вие сте видели, and so Бихте ли дошли? to one person. See familiar ти and polite Вие.

3. Word order. Ли comes right after бихте, and short pronouns follow ли: Бихте ли ми подали солта? See the placement of short pronouns.

4. A scale of politeness.

  • Затворете вратата, моля. (Please close the door.)
  • Може ли да затворите вратата? (Could you close the door?)
  • Бихте ли затворили вратата? (Would you mind closing the door?)
  • Бихте ли могли да затворите вратата? (Could you possibly close the door?) The most careful form.

5. Related forms. With a friend: Би ли ми помогнал/помогнала? To make a polite statement about yourself: Бих искал/искала едно кафе. (I would like a coffee.) Typical answers: Разбира се. (Of course.) С удоволствие. (With pleasure.)

Examples (6)

  1. Бихте ли затворили вратата?

    Would you mind closing the door?

  2. Бихте ли могли да ми помогнете?

    Could you possibly help me?

    могли is the л-participle of мога; the action itself follows with да.

  3. Бихте ли ми подали солта?

    Would you pass me the salt?

    The short pronoun ми comes after ли.

  4. Бихте ли повторили, моля?

    Could you repeat that, please?

  5. Бихте ли изчакали малко?

    Would you mind waiting a moment?

  6. Би ли ми помогнал с багажа?

    Would you help me with the luggage?

    The familiar version, to a man you address as ти.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the present tense instead of the л-participle.

    Бихте ли затворите вратата?
    Бихте ли затворили вратата?

    Бихте is an auxiliary; the main verb must be the л-participle затворили.

  • Using a singular participle with polite Вие.

    Бихте ли дошъл утре?
    Бихте ли дошли утре?

    Polite Вие always takes a plural participle, even when you speak to one man or woman.

  • Adding да after бихте ли.

    Бихте ли да ми помогнете?
    Бихте ли ми помогнали?

    Бихте ли joins the participle directly. Да comes only after a participle such as могли or искали: Бихте ли могли да ми помогнете?

How It Connects

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бихте ли + -л ParticipleLevel 4Very Polite Requests with Бихте Ли

Learn This First

Very polite requests combine the conditional with Вие.

Words in This Pattern

бъдаби