Seen or Heard About
Вчера дојде Марко. — Marko came yesterday (I know it). Вчера дошол Марко. — Marko came yesterday (so I am told). The verb form shows how you know.
How It Works
When you talk about a past event in the third person, you usually choose between two forms, and the choice tells the listener how you know.
Aorist — I vouch for it (see аорист: купив; прочитав; дојдов):
- Вчера дојде Марко. — Marko came yesterday. (I saw him, or I am sure.)
- Тој беше во Охрид. — He was in Ohrid. (Сум has no aorist; its simple past беше works the same way.)
Bare l-form — I am passing it on (see прекажан начин: бил; дошол):
- Вчера дошол Марко. — Marko came yesterday, I am told.
- Тој бил во Охрид. — He was in Ohrid, apparently.
Not only "seen with my own eyes": the aorist is also used for facts the speaker did not witness but fully accepts, such as history: Втората светска војна заврши во 1945 година. Nobody adds "they say" to that.
Worked out from clues: the l-form is also used when you infer an event from its results: Улиците се мокри, значи врнело. (The streets are wet, so it must have rained.)
Surprise and doubt: the l-form can also show surprise at something you just found out, as in Ти си бил многу висок! (see адмиратив: ти си бил), or disbelief (see дубитатив: наводно бил). News reports use it with care for this reason (see прекажани форми во медиумите).
Keep it natural: you do not have to use the l-form every time you did not see something. If a friend you trust told you, the aorist is fine when you want to state it as fact. The l-form is your tool for signalling that the information is not your own.
Examples (5)
- Вчера дојде Марко.
Marko came yesterday. (I know it.)
Word by Word: Yesterday came Marko.
- Вчера дошол Марко.
Marko came yesterday, so I am told.
Word by Word: Yesterday came Marko.
Same event, but the l-form shows the speaker heard about it.
- Улиците се мокри, значи врнело.
The streets are wet, so it must have rained.
Word by Word: Streets-the are wet, means rained.
The speaker did not see the rain but works it out from the wet streets.
- Втората светска војна заврши во 1945 година.
The Second World War ended in 1945.
Word by Word: Second-the world war ended in 1945 year.
A well-known fact is stated with the aorist even though the speaker did not see it.
- Ана ми кажа дека Марко го положил испитот.
Ana told me that Marko passed the exam.
Word by Word: Ana to-me told that Marko it passed exam-the.
Кажа is aorist (the speaker heard Ana), and положил is the reported news.
Common Mistakes
Using the l-form for something you watched happen.
Бев таму и видов: Марко паднал од велосипедот.Бев таму и видов: Марко падна од велосипедот.You were there, so you vouch for the event. The aorist падна fits; the l-form паднал would suggest you only heard about it.
Stating a rumour you cannot confirm with the aorist.
Не сум сигурен, но министерот поднесе оставка.Не сум сигурен, но министерот поднел оставка.The speaker says the news is unconfirmed, but поднесе presents it as a fact the speaker vouches for. The l-form поднел matches the doubt. After слушнав дека, either form can follow, because слушнав already says where the news came from.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Seen or heard about follows reported forms.
Related Patterns
- The Aorist Past
The aorist is the form the speaker vouches for.
Level 2 - Surprise With the L-Form
The l-form can also express surprise at something just discovered.
Level 5 - Doubting a Claim
The l-form can also show that the speaker does not believe a claim.
Level 5 - Reported Forms in the News
News writing handles this same contrast with extra care.
Level 6 - сум + L-FormThe Perfect with Сум
In the first person, сум with the l-form usually talks about experience rather than reports.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice Seen or Heard About in Bubblegum
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