щял да + Verb

The Reported Future

Level 4Sounds Like preizkazno bʺdeŝe vreme

Ще becomes щял да when you report a plan or a forecast: Той щял да дойде утре. (He will come tomorrow, he says.) Няма да becomes нямало да: Нямало да вали. (It won't rain, they say.)

How It Works

1. Building the form. Report the auxiliary of the future with ще and leave the main verb as it is:

  • Той ще дойде. → Той щял да дойде.
  • Тя ще замине. → Тя щяла да замине.
  • Утре ще вали. → Утре щяло да вали.
  • Те ще се женят. → Те щели да се женят.

In the first and second person the auxiliary stays: Щял съм да се местя? (I'm supposedly moving?) Ти си щяла да заминаваш? (You're supposedly leaving?) See reported forms in the first and second person.

2. The negative is нямало да. The negative future with няма да becomes нямало да, which stays the same for every person, gender and number: Той нямало да дойде. Тя нямало да дойде. Те нямало да дойдат. In the first and second person you may add съм, си, сме, сте after it: Нямало съм да дойда? (I'm supposedly not coming?)

3. One form for two tenses. The reported future and the reported future in the past are identical, so щял да дойде can report ще дойде or щеше да дойде. Words around it make the meaning clear: Щял да дойде, но се разболял. (He was going to come, but he fell ill, reportedly.)

4. When to use it. Use it to pass on forecasts, announcements and other people's plans: Според прогнозата утре щяло да вали сняг. (According to the forecast, it will snow tomorrow.) After каза, че or според you may also keep the ordinary future, which sounds more neutral: Каза, че ще дойде. The reported form adds that you are only passing the information on, and sometimes a note of doubt.

The witnessed щеше да cannot pass on someone else's claim: after според него, use щял да or ще.

Examples (6)

  1. Той щял да дойде утре.

    He's coming tomorrow, he says.

    Щял agrees with the masculine subject; дойде stays in the present after да.

  2. Синоптиците казват, че нямало да вали.

    The forecasters say it won't rain.

    Нямало да is the negative; нямало never changes.

  3. Мария щяла да учи в Германия.

    Maria is going to study in Germany, I hear.

    Щяла agrees with Мария.

  4. Те щели да се женят през лятото.

    They're getting married in the summer, apparently.

    Щели is the plural form.

  5. Щял съм да се местя? Кой ти каза това?

    I'm supposedly moving? Who told you that?

    In the first person, съм stays.

  6. Щял да ни посети, но се разболял.

    He was going to visit us, but he fell ill, reportedly.

    Here щял да reports the future in the past.

Common Mistakes

  • Making нямало agree with the subject.

    Тя нямала да дойде.
    Тя нямало да дойде.

    Нямало is fixed in the neuter singular for every person, gender and number. Only an optional съм, си, сме or сте may follow it in the first and second person.

  • Turning the main verb into a participle too.

    Той щял да дошъл.
    Той щял да дойде.

    Only the auxiliary is reported. After да the verb stays in the ordinary present.

  • Using the witnessed щеше да to pass on someone's claim.

    Според него щеше да дойде утре.
    Според него щял да дойде утре.

    Щеше да presents the plan as something the speaker knew firsthand. To pass on his words, use щял да, or keep the ordinary future ще дойде.

How It Connects

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щял да + VerbLevel 4The Reported Future

Learn This First

The reported future combines reported forms with the future in the past.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

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