ќе + Imperfect

Would and Would Have

Level 4Sounds Like ḱe + imperfekt

Ќе + imperfect talks about something that did not or does not happen: Ќе дојдев, но бев болен. (I would have come, but I was sick.)

How It Works

Ќе + present looks forward: ќе дојдам (I will come). Put the verb in the imperfect instead and the same ќе means that the event was expected but did not happen, or only happens in imagination.

1. "Would have" for something that did not happen: Ќе дојдев, но бев болен. (I would have come, but I was sick.) Без твојата помош ќе се изгубев. (Without your help I would have gotten lost.)

2. "Would" for an imagined present: Јас на твое место ќе се извинев. (In your place, I would apologize.)

3. "Was going to" (a plan that changed): Ќе одевме на море, но се откажавме. (We were going to go to the seaside, but we changed our minds.)

The same form also describes past habits, as in ќе + имперфект за навика во минатото. Words like секоја вечер point to a habit, and a но clause or an "if" clause points to "would have".

Forms. Use the imperfect endings -в, -ше, -ше, -вме, -вте, -а. Perfective verbs are very common here, in their imperfect form: ќе дојдев, ќе дојдеше, ќе дојдевме (see имперфект од свршени глаголи). Short pronouns go between ќе and the verb: Ќе ти се јавев. (I would have called you.) Never use the aorist after ќе.

The negative. The usual form is немаше да with a present verb: Немаше да дојдам без тебе. (I would not have come without you.) Не ќе дојдев and нема да дојдев are also used.

With an "if" clause, see да; ако + имперфект: Да имав време, ќе дојдев. For polite or imagined situations that are still possible, Macedonian more often uses би (можен начин: би + л-форма): Би сакал кафе. In formal writing, би also sometimes appears where ќе + imperfect is the everyday choice.

Examples (6)

  1. Ќе дојдев, но бев болен.

    I would have come, but I was sick.

    Word by Word: Would I-came, but I-was sick.

  2. Без твојата помош ќе се изгубев.

    Without your help I would have gotten lost.

    Word by Word: Without your-the help would myself lost.

  3. Ќе ти се јавев, но ми се испразни телефонот.

    I would have called you, but my phone died.

    Word by Word: Would you myself called, but me itself emptied phone-the.

    Short pronouns go between ќе and the verb.

  4. Јас на твое место ќе се извинев.

    In your place, I would apologize.

    Word by Word: I in your place would myself apologized.

    This can refer to the present or to the past, depending on the situation.

  5. Ќе одевме на море, но се откажавме.

    We were going to go to the seaside, but we changed our minds.

    Word by Word: Would we-went to sea, but ourselves we-gave-up.

  6. Немаше да дојдам без тебе.

    I would not have come without you.

    Word by Word: Had-not to I-come without you.

    The usual negative is немаше да with a present verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting an aorist after ќе.

    Ќе дојдов, но бев болен.
    Ќе дојдев, но бев болен.

    Дојдов is the aorist. After ќе, use the imperfect дојдев.

  • Using the present after ќе for something that did not happen.

    Ќе дојдам, но бев болен.
    Ќе дојдев, но бев болен.

    Ќе дојдам means "I will come", which clashes with a past reason. For "would have come", use the imperfect дојдев.

How It Connects

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

ќе + ImperfectLevel 4Would and Would Have

Learn This First

Would and would have build on ќе + imperfect and the conditional.

Words in This Pattern