без да / наместо да

Without and Instead of

Level 3Sounds Like bez da; namesto da

English without doing and instead of doing become без да and наместо да with a present verb: Излезе без да каже збор. · Наместо да учи, спие.

How It Works

Macedonian has no -ing form to follow a preposition, so without saying and instead of studying are built with да and a personal verb.

Без да (without): the action after it did not happen, or will not happen:

  • Излезе без да каже збор. (He left without saying a word.)
  • Го зеде мојот телефон без да ме праша. (She took my phone without asking me.)
  • Не можеш да научиш јазик без да зборуваш. (You cannot learn a language without speaking.)

Наместо да (instead of): the action after it is replaced by the one in the main clause:

  • Наместо да учи, спие. (Instead of studying, he is sleeping.)
  • Наместо да ми се јави, ми прати порака. (Instead of calling me, he sent me a message.)

The verb form: after без да and наместо да the verb stays in the present form even in a past story: Излезе без да каже збор, not a past form. A single action is usually perfective (каже, праша), and an ongoing one imperfective (учи, зборуваш).

With nouns: без and наместо are also prepositions: кафе без шеќер (see со; без), Наместо кафе, пијам чај.

Examples (6)

  1. Излезе без да каже збор.

    He left without saying a word.

    Word by Word: He-left without to says word.

  2. Наместо да учи, спие.

    Instead of studying, he is sleeping.

    Word by Word: Instead to studies, sleeps.

  3. Го зеде мојот телефон без да ме праша.

    She took my phone without asking me.

    Word by Word: It took my-the phone without to me asks.

  4. Наместо да ми се јави, ми прати порака.

    Instead of calling me, he sent me a message.

    Word by Word: Instead to to-me himself calls, to-me sent message.

  5. Не можеш да научиш јазик без да зборуваш.

    You cannot learn a language without speaking.

    Word by Word: Not you-can to you-learn language without to you-speak.

  6. Наместо да седиш дома, излези малку надвор.

    Instead of sitting at home, go outside for a while.

    Word by Word: Instead to you-sit home, go-out a-little outside.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the verb after да into the past.

    Излезе без да кажа збор.
    Излезе без да каже збор.

    After без да the verb stays in the present form. Излезе already shows the past.

  • Leaving out да before the verb.

    Излезе без каже збор.
    Излезе без да каже збор.

    Без alone is a preposition for nouns. Before a verb you need без да.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

без да / наместо даLevel 3Without and Instead of

Learn This First

Without and instead of follow за да.

Words in This Pattern

наместо