дека
Saying That
Дека means “that” after words like мисли, знае, рече, слушне: Знам дека си уморен (I know that you are tired).
How It Works
Use. Дека introduces a statement after verbs of saying, thinking, knowing and hearing: мисли дека, знае дека, рече дека, слушна дека. It also follows adjectives like сигурен: Сигурен сум дека ќе успееш.
Never dropped. English often leaves out “that”, but Macedonian needs дека every time: Мислам дека е дома.
Tense. The verb after дека keeps the tense of the original idea: Ана рече дека ќе дојде подоцна (Ana said she would come later) keeps ќе. Не знаев дека зборуваш македонски keeps the present. An l-form after дека often marks news the speaker only heard: Слушнав дека се преселиле. Reporting speech is covered in direct and indirect speech.
Дека, да and дали. Дека reports a statement. A request or order uses да instead: Ми рече да дојдам (He told me to come); see reporting a request. A reported yes or no question uses дали. After feelings like драго ми е, Macedonian uses што: glad that.
Оти. In speech, оти often replaces дека: see оти and дека.
Examples (6)
- Мислам дека Марко е дома.
I think Marko is at home.
Word by Word: Think-I that Marko is home.
Дека must stay, even though English can drop that.
- Знам дека си уморен.
I know that you are tired.
Дека follows a verb of knowing.
- Ана рече дека ќе дојде подоцна.
Ana said that she would come later.
The future ќе stays in the reported sentence.
- Слушнав дека се преселиле во Охрид.
I heard that they have moved to Ohrid.
The l-form without сум fits news the speaker only heard.
- Сигурен сум дека ќе успееш.
I am sure that you will succeed.
Дека can also follow an adjective like сигурен.
- Не знаев дека зборуваш македонски.
I did not know that you speak Macedonian.
The present зборуваш stays the same after a past verb.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out дека, as English leaves out that.
Мислам е дома.Мислам дека е дома.Macedonian always needs дека to join a statement to мисли, знае or рече.
Using дека for a request.
Ми рече дека дојдам.Ми рече да дојдам.Дека reports a statement. When you report what someone asked or told you to do, use да.
Using што after знае or мисли.
Знам што си уморен.Знам дека си уморен.After verbs of knowing and thinking, “that” is дека. Што here would mean what.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Saying that needs full clauses with present verbs.
Related Patterns
- мисли дека / мисли на / мисли заSaying What You Think
Мисли дека is the most common way to give an opinion.
Level 3 - Reporting What Someone Said
Shows how to turn direct speech into a дека clause.
Level 4 - кажи му даReporting a Request
A reported request uses да, not дека.
Level 4 - дали in Reported QuestionsReporting a Yes or No Question
A reported yes or no question uses дали.
Level 3 - драго ми е штоGlad That and Sorry That
After feelings, Macedonian uses што rather than дека.
Level 3 - оти / декаОти and Дека
Оти is a colloquial alternative to дека.
Level 5
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice дека in Bubblegum
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