Reported Present and Imperfect
Той работи в банка and Той работеше в банка are both reported as Той работел в банка. The form is built on the imperfect л-participle, and context tells you whether it means now or then.
How It Works
1. Forming it. Take the imperfect, remove -х and add -л. This gives the imperfect л-participle:
- четях → четял, четяла, четяло, четели
- пишех → пишел, пишела, пишело, пишели
- живеех → живеел, живеела, живеело, живеели
- чаках → чакал, чакала, чакало, чакали
The я of четял becomes е in the plural, following the я-е alternation. For съм the form is бил: Той бил болен. (He is ill, they say.)
2. One form, two times. Тя говорела пет езика can report Тя говори пет езика (she speaks) or Тя говореше пет езика (she used to speak). Time words decide: сега, всеки ден, някога, като дете.
3. When to use it.
- Passing on news about the present: Казват, че в тази къща живеел известен художник. (They say a famous painter lives in this house.)
- Background and habits in a reported story or a folk tale: Всяка вечер старецът седял пред къщата. (Every evening the old man sat in front of the house.)
Perfective verbs have this participle too (напишел, дойдел), but only in dependent clauses, for example after ако. A single completed event takes the reported aorist instead.
4. Present facts after каза, че. For something that is still true, you can keep the ordinary present, which sounds more neutral: Каза, че работи в банка. The reported работел adds that you are only passing it on. General truths always stay in the present: Учителят обяснил, че Земята се върти около Слънцето. (The teacher explained that the Earth turns around the Sun.)
Examples (6)
- Той работел в банка.
He works (or worked) in a bank, reportedly.
Работел comes from the imperfect работех.
- Те живеели във Виена.
They live (or lived) in Vienna, I hear.
Живеели is the plural of живеел.
- Казват, че тя говорела пет езика.
They say she speaks five languages.
Here the context points to the present.
- Като малък той пишел стихове.
As a boy he used to write poems, reportedly.
Като малък points to a past habit.
- Съседът бил болен и не излизал от къщи.
The neighbour is ill and doesn't leave the house, they say.
Бил is the reported form of съм; излизал comes from the imperfect излизах.
- Когато му се обадили, той четял вестник.
When they called him, he was reading a newspaper, reportedly.
Четял describes what was going on when the event happened.
Common Mistakes
Using the aorist participle for an ongoing action.
Когато му се обадили, той чел вестник.Когато му се обадили, той четял вестник.To say he was in the middle of reading, use the imperfect participle четял. Чел presents the reading as a completed event.
Keeping я in the plural.
Децата четяли книги.Децата четели книги.Before и the я of the participle becomes е: четял, but четели.
Building the participle from the wrong stem.
Той пишал писма на баба си.Той пишел писма на баба си.The participle comes from the imperfect пишех, so it is пишел. Пишал does not exist.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The reported present and imperfect need the imperfect л-participle.
Related Patterns
- The Imperfect Past
The ordinary imperfect whose stem gives the participle.
Level 2 - The Reported Aorist
The reported form for single completed events.
Level 4 - я/е AlternationThe Я-Е Alternation
Explains why четял becomes четели in the plural.
Level 3 - Reported Forms in Folk Tales
Folk tales use this form for background and habits.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Reported Present and Imperfect in Bubblegum
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