Verb of Telling + да + Verb

Reported Commands with Да

Level 4Sounds Like neprâka zapoved s da

To report a command, replace the imperative with да + a present-tense verb: „Ела!“ → Каза ми да дойда. (He told me to come.) „Чакайте!“ → Помоли ги да чакат. (She asked them to wait.)

How It Works

1. From direct to reported. The imperative turns into да + present tense. The person changes to fit the new speaker:

  • „Ела!“ (Come!) → Каза ми да дойда. (He told me to come.)
  • „Чакайте!“ (Wait!) → Помоли ги да чакат. (She asked them to wait.)
  • „Не пуши!“ (Don't smoke!) → Каза ми да не пуша. (He told me not to smoke.)

2. Who acts? The verb after да shows the person who must act, and it is usually the same person as the short pronoun after the telling verb:

  • Каза ми да дойда. (me → I come)
  • Каза му да дойде. (him → he comes)
  • Каза ни да дойдем. (us → we come)

When nobody is named, the verb still shows who should act: Мама каза да не закъсняваме. (Mum said we shouldn't be late.)

3. Useful verbs. казвам/кажа (tell), моля/помоля (ask), съветвам (advise), препоръчвам (recommend), забранявам (forbid), искам (want). After искам the pattern is the same: see wanting someone else to act.

4. Aspect. A single action normally takes a perfective verb (да дойда, да купиш); a process, a habit or a negative command usually takes an imperfective one (да чакат, да не закъсняваме). See perfective verbs after да.

5. Да versus че. Че reports a statement; да reports a command. Каза ми, че ще дойде. (He told me he would come.) Каза ми да дойда. (He told me to come.) For reported statements, see reported speech.

Examples (6)

  1. Каза ми да дойда в осем.

    He told me to come at eight.

    Ми and дойда both refer to the speaker.

  2. Помоли ги да чакат пред входа.

    She asked them to wait at the entrance.

  3. Кажи му да ми се обади.

    Tell him to call me.

  4. Мама каза да не закъсняваме.

    Mum said we shouldn't be late.

    A negative command becomes да не + verb.

  5. Лекарят ме посъветва да пия повече вода.

    The doctor advised me to drink more water.

  6. Учителката ни забрани да използваме телефони.

    The teacher forbade us to use phones.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the imperative in the reported sentence.

    Каза ми ела.
    Каза ми да дойда.

    After a verb of telling, the imperative becomes да + present tense in the person who must act.

  • Using the wrong person after да.

    Каза ми да дойде.
    Каза ми да дойда.

    With the intended meaning "He told me to come", the verb after да must be first person, like ми. Каза ми да дойде means "He told me that he (or she) should come".

  • Reporting a command with че.

    Каза ми, че дойда.
    Каза ми да дойда.

    Че introduces a statement and needs a full tense, as in Каза ми, че ще дойде. A command is reported with да.

How It Connects

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

Verb of Telling + да + VerbLevel 4Reported Commands with Да

Learn This First

Reported commands build on imperatives and да for another person.

Words in This Pattern