Reported Mood (-vat)
Ta olevat haige means he is said to be ill, or apparently he is ill. The speaker passes on what others say without saying it is certainly true.
How It Works
The quotative or reported mood tells the listener: I heard this from someone else, and I am not saying it is certainly true. English uses words like apparently, reportedly or is said to.
How to form it. Take the -v participle of the verb and add -at:
- olema: olev, olevat
- tulema: tulev, tulevat
- elama: elav, elavat
- laulma: laulev, laulevat
- sadama: sadav, sadavat
No personal endings. The form is the same for everyone: ma olevat, ta olevat, nad olevat. Because of this, keep the subject in the sentence.
Negative. Put ei in front: Ta ei olevat haige. With olema you can also use polevat.
Time. The -vat form talks about the present or the future. For something reported about the past, use olevat plus the -nud form: Ta olevat haige olnud.
In use. You will meet it in news, gossip and retelling: Uus restoran olevat väga hea. In everyday speech, people also use olla for olema in the same meaning, Ta olla haige, or the verb pidi, Ta pidi haige olema.
Examples (6)
- Ta olevat haige.
He is said to be ill.
Word by Word: he is-reportedly ill
The speaker passes on what someone else said.
- Uus restoran olevat väga hea.
The new restaurant is supposed to be very good.
A typical way to pass on a recommendation.
- Homme sadavat vihma.
Apparently it will rain tomorrow.
The -vat form can also refer to the future.
- Nad elavat nüüd Soomes.
They reportedly live in Finland now.
nad takes the same form as ta: elavat.
- Kontsert algavat kell seitse.
The concert is supposed to start at seven.
algama, algav, algavat.
- Ta ei olevat sellest rõõmus.
He is said not to be happy about it.
Negative: ei + olevat.
Common Mistakes
Confusing the quotative with the plural participle.
Nad olevad haiged.Nad olevat haiged.olevad is the plural of the participle olev (being). The quotative always ends in -vat, for every person.
Using the present quotative for a past event.
Ta olevat eile haige.Ta olevat eile haige olnud.The -vat form alone is present or future. For the past, add the -nud form: olevat ... olnud.
Making the negative with mitte.
Ta olevat mitte haige.Ta ei olevat haige.The quotative is made negative with ei, like other verb forms.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The -vat form is built like the -v participle.
Related Patterns
- Reported Past
The past form, built with olevat and the -nud form.
Level 4 - Reporting What Someone Said
Other ways to pass on what someone said, with et and a verb of saying.
Level 4 - pidiSupposed to (Pidi)
A common everyday alternative: Ta pidi haige olema.
Level 4 - Reported Impersonal (-tavat)
The same mood for impersonal sentences: räägitavat.
Level 6 - Negation with ei
The quotative uses the same negative word ei.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Reported Mood (-vat) in Bubblegum
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