The -л Participle
The Л-Participle
The л-participle is a past form ending in -л: чел, писал, купил, дошъл. It changes like an adjective: той е дошъл, тя е дошла, те са дошли.
How It Works
1. Forming it. Start from the aorist form for I and replace -х with -л:
- чаках → чакал (waited), писах → писал (written), купих → купил (bought), говорих → говорил (spoken)
- In these -ох forms, the vowel and stem-final т/д drop: четох → чел (read), ядох → ял (eaten), дадох → дал (given). Other consonant stems may insert ъ in masculine forms, as донесох → донесъл
- A few are irregular: дойда → дошъл (come), отида → отишъл (gone), мога → могъл (been able), съм → бил (been)
2. Agreement. The participle agrees with the subject like an adjective:
- чел, чела, чело, чели
- дошъл, дошла, дошло, дошли: the ъ drops when an ending is added (see the disappearing ъ).
- видял, видяла, видяло, видели; живял, живели: я becomes е in the plural (see the я-е alternation).
With polite Вие, the participle is plural even for one person: Били ли сте в България? (Have you been to Bulgaria?)
3. What it builds.
- The present perfect: Чел съм тази книга. (I have read this book.)
- The pluperfect: Бях чел книгата. (I had read the book.)
- The conditional: Бих дошъл. (I would come.)
- Reported forms: Той бил болен. (He was ill, they say.)
Tip: Keep it apart from the past passive participle: прочел (who has read) is active, while прочетен (read by someone) is passive. The imperfect participle четял is a different form again (see the imperfect л-participle).
Examples (6)
- Чел съм тази книга.
I have read this book.
Чел + съм makes the present perfect.
- Мария е дошла от Варна.
Maria has come from Varna.
Дошла ends in -ла because Maria is a woman.
- Децата са заспали.
The children have fallen asleep.
Заспали ends in -ли because деца is plural.
- Писмото е пристигнало.
The letter has arrived.
Пристигнало ends in -ло because писмо is neuter.
- Те са видели всичко.
They have seen everything.
In the plural, видял changes я to е: видели.
- Били ли сте в България?
Have you been to Bulgaria?
Polite Вие takes the plural participle били, even when you speak to one person.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting to make the participle agree with a female subject.
Мария е дошъл.Мария е дошла.The participle agrees like an adjective. For a woman it ends in -ла.
Keeping я in the plural.
Те са видяли филма.Те са видели филма.Before the plural ending -и, the я of видял changes to е: видели.
Using the passive participle to say what someone has done.
Аз съм прочетен книгата.Аз съм прочел книгата.Прочетен means read by someone. For the reader, use the active л-participle прочел.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The л-participle follows the aorist.
Related Patterns
- The Present Perfect
The present perfect is съм + л-participle, the most common use of this form.
Level 2 - бих + -л ParticipleThe Conditional Mood
The conditional combines бих with the л-participle: бих дошъл.
Level 3 - Reported Forms in the Third Person
Reported forms use the л-participle, often without съм in the third person.
Level 3 - The Past Passive Participle
The passive participle (прочетен) describes the thing acted on, not the doer.
Level 3 - The Imperfect -л ParticipleThe Imperfect Л-Participle
A second л-participle built from the imperfect stem: четял.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice The -л Participle in Bubblegum
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