Reported Mood With Participles
To pass on something you did not see yourself, replace the verb with a participle: Jis yra turtingas becomes Sako, kad jis esąs turtingas (They say he is supposedly rich).
How It Works
1. What it does. The reported mood presents information as indirect, reported or distanced. You heard it, you doubt it, or it is a story: Gyvenęs kartą karalius (Once upon a time there lived a king).
2. The forms. Use an active participle in the nominative, with the same tense as the verb it replaces:
- present: jis esąs, ji esanti, jie esą, jos esančios; turi → turįs, turinti
- past: jis buvęs, ji buvusi, jie buvę
- future: jis būsiąs, ji būsianti, from the future active participle
The masculine singular commonly uses the short forms -ąs and -įs: esąs, einąs, turįs.
3. Agreement. The participle agrees with the subject in gender and number: Sako, kad ji gerai žaidžianti tinklinį (They say she plays volleyball well).
4. Where you meet it.
- After sako, kad or girdėjau: Girdėjau, tas senis gyvenąs mieste.
- After sakosi or sakė with the same subject, with no kad: Jis sakosi turįs daug draugų (He claims to have many friends). Kaimynė sakė buvusi kine.
- In folk tales and in news that keeps a distance from a claim.
5. Other ways to say it. The particle esą with an ordinary verb does the same job: Esą jis turtingas. Neva adds stronger doubt. Neutral reported speech with kad uses a normal verb and makes no comment on the truth.
Examples (6)
- Sako, kad jis esąs turtingas.
They say he is supposedly rich.
Esąs replaces yra and shows that this is hearsay.
- Gyvenęs kartą karalius.
Once upon a time there lived a king.
The classic opening of a folk tale. Gyveno → gyvenęs.
- Girdėjau, tas senis gyvenąs mieste.
I heard that the old man lives in town.
Gyvena → gyvenąs.
- Kaimynė sakė buvusi kine.
The neighbour said she had been to the cinema.
The subject of sakė and buvusi is the same; this compact pattern omits kad. Buvusi is feminine.
- Sako, kad ji gerai žaidžianti tinklinį.
They say she plays volleyball well.
Feminine žaidžianti agrees with ji.
- Jis sakosi turįs daug draugų.
He claims to have many friends.
Turi → turįs, the short masculine form.
Common Mistakes
Not making the participle agree with a feminine subject.
Sako, kad ji esąs turtinga.Sako, kad ji esanti turtinga.Esąs is masculine singular. For ji, use esanti.
Using the singular form with a plural subject.
Sako, kad jie esąs turtingi.Sako, kad jie esą turtingi.The masculine plural of esąs is esą.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The reported mood uses agreeing active participles to present information as indirectly known.
- Present Active Participle -antisPresent Active Participle
Recognize present active participles and their agreement.
Level 5 - Past Active Participle: -ęs, -usiPast Active Participle
Recognize past active participles.
Level 4 - Reported Speech With kad
Understand reported information and viewpoint before learning a participial alternative to a kad clause.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- esąReported Information with Esą
The particle esą marks reported information with an ordinary verb.
Level 5 - nevaDoubtful Claims with Neva
Neva adds stronger doubt about a claim.
Level 6 - būtaEvidential Būta
The evidential būta is the passive counterpart of the reported mood.
Level 6 - Future Active Participle -siantisFuture Active Participle
Supplies the future forms būsiąs and būsianti.
Level 5
Words in This Pattern
Practice Reported Mood With Participles in Bubblegum
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