дали

Whether with Дали

Level 3Sounds Like dali

Дали means "whether" or "if" in reported questions: Не знам дали ще дойде. At the start of a question it means "I wonder": Дали ще вали?

How It Works

1. Reported yes-no questions. Turn a question with ли into a clause after verbs like знам, питам, помня and чудя се:

  • Ще дойде ли? → Не знам дали ще дойде. (I don't know whether he will come.)
  • Иска ли кафе? → Попитай я дали иска кафе. (Ask her if she wants coffee.)

For questions with a question word, the question word itself does this job; see indirect questions.

2. Wondering. Дали at the start of a direct question adds doubt: Дали ще вали утре? (I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.) Дали е вкъщи? (Could he be at home?)

3. Дали да: whether to. Чудя се дали да му се обадя. (I'm wondering whether to call him.)

4. Дали ... или: whether ... or. Не е ясно дали ще успеем, или не. (It's not clear whether we'll make it or not.) A comma goes before или in this pair.

5. Commas and short forms. When the дали clause follows the main clause, no comma goes before дали: Не знам дали.... Short pronouns come right after дали: Не помня дали го е виждал. (I don't remember whether he has seen him.)

Watch out: English uses "if" for both meanings, but Bulgarian doesn't. Ако is only for conditions (see real conditions with ако).

Examples (6)

  1. Не знам дали ще дойде.

    I don't know whether he will come.

  2. Дали ще вали утре?

    I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.

    Дали alone expresses doubt or wondering.

  3. Попитай я дали иска кафе.

    Ask her if she wants coffee.

  4. Чудя се дали да му се обадя.

    I'm wondering whether to call him.

  5. Не помня дали съм заключил вратата.

    I don't remember whether I locked the door.

  6. Не е ясно дали ще успеем, или не.

    It's not clear whether we'll make it or not.

    In дали ... или, a comma goes before или.

Common Mistakes

  • Using ако for whether.

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

    English "if" can mean whether, but Bulgarian ако only introduces conditions. Use дали for reported questions.

  • Keeping ли together with дали.

    Не знам дали ще дойде ли.
    Не знам дали ще дойде.

    Дали replaces the question particle ли, so the two do not appear together.

  • Putting a comma before дали.

    Не знам, дали ще дойде.
    Не знам дали ще дойде.

    An indirect question that follows the main clause is not separated by a comma.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

далиLevel 3Whether with Дали

Learn This First

Whether follows yes-no questions with ли.

Words in This Pattern

не знам