The Verbal Adverb in Literary Style
Седејќи крај прозорецот и гледајќи ги луѓето, се сети на детството. (Sitting by the window and watching the people, she remembered her childhood.) The -јќи forms paint the background, and the main verb tells what happened.
How It Works
The form. The verbal adverb is built from imperfective verbs with -јќи and never changes: седи → седејќи, гледа → гледајќи, знае → знаејќи (see the verbal adverb). Short pronouns and се come after it: гледајќи ги, враќајќи се (see short pronouns after the verbal adverb).
What it does in a story. It holds the background while the main verb moves the story on:
- a scene: Седејќи крај прозорецот и гледајќи ги луѓето, се сети на детството.
- the way someone moves: Одеше полека, потпирајќи се на стапот. (He walked slowly, leaning on his stick.)
- a feeling or a reason: Не знаејќи што да каже, таа само се насмевна. (Not knowing what to say, she just smiled.)
What careful writers do.
- The person doing the -јќи action is the subject of the main verb.
- The two actions happen at the same time. For an action that comes first, use откако: Откако ја затвори вратата, излезе. You will sometimes read Затворајќи ја вратата, излезе for "having closed the door", but strict grammar books reject it.
- Не is written as a separate word: не знаејќи, не сакајќи.
- A verbal-adverb phrase at the start of a sentence is followed by a comma.
Speech and writing. Long chains of -јќи forms sound bookish. In conversation, use додека or two verbs joined by и: Додека седеше крај прозорецот и ги гледаше луѓето, се сети на детството.
Examples (6)
- Седејќи крај прозорецот и гледајќи ги луѓето, се сети на детството.
Sitting by the window and watching the people, she remembered her childhood.
Word by Word: Sitting by window-the and watching them people-the, herself remembered of childhood-the.
Two background actions and one main event.
- Не знаејќи што да каже, таа само се насмевна.
Not knowing what to say, she just smiled.
Word by Word: Not knowing what to she-says, she only herself smiled.
- Одеше полека, потпирајќи се на стапот.
He walked slowly, leaning on his stick.
Word by Word: He-walked slowly, leaning himself on stick-the.
- Враќајќи се од пазарот, ја сретна својата стара учителка.
On her way back from the market, she met her old teacher.
Word by Word: Returning herself from market-the, her she-met her-own-the old teacher.
- Сакајќи да ѝ помогне, тој ја зеде торбата од нејзините раце.
Wanting to help her, he took the bag from her hands.
Word by Word: Wanting to to-her he-helps, he it took bag-the from her-the hands.
- Влезе во собата насмевнувајќи се.
She came into the room smiling.
Word by Word: She-entered into room-the smiling herself.
Common Mistakes
Writing не together with the verbal adverb.
Незнаејќи што да каже, таа само се насмевна.Не знаејќи што да каже, таа само се насмевна.Не is always a separate word before a verbal adverb, just as it is before a verb.
Putting се before the verbal adverb.
Се враќајќи од пазарот, ја сретна својата стара учителка.Враќајќи се од пазарот, ја сретна својата стара учителка.Short pronouns and се come after a verbal adverb, because it does not show the person.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The literary verbal adverb follows the verbal adverb.
Related Patterns
- Verbal Adverb in -јќиThe Verbal Adverb
How to build the verbal adverb.
Level 4 - додекаWhile and Until
The everyday way to say that two actions happen at the same time.
Level 3 - откако / пред даAfter and Before
Use откако for an action that happens first.
Level 3 - Verb Aspect
Only imperfective verbs have a verbal adverb.
Level 2 - Participle Phrases in Formal Writing
Another way that formal writing packs information into verb forms.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
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