кога
Saying When Something Happened
Кога joins two events in time: Кога бев мал, живеев во Битола (When I was little, I lived in Bitola).
How It Works
Question word and link word. Кога? asks when (see question words). The same word also joins two clauses: Кога стигнав дома, веќе беше темно.
Past events. Use the aorist for a single finished event and the imperfect for a longer situation: Кога бев мал, живеев во Битола, Кога заврши филмот, сите станаа.
Habits. With a present verb, кога means “whenever”: Кога сум уморна, пијам чај.
Future events. A future event needs ќе after кога: Кога ќе дојдеш, ќе јадеме. This is taught in future time clauses.
Order and comma. When the кога clause comes first, put a comma after it. When it comes second, no comma is needed: Марко ми се јави кога бев на работа. Other time words work the same way: додека, откако and пред да and штом.
Examples (5)
- Кога бев мал, живеев во Битола.
When I was little, I lived in Bitola.
Word by Word: When was-I little, lived-I in Bitola.
The imperfect describes a longer situation in the past.
- Кога стигнав дома, веќе беше темно.
When I got home, it was already dark.
The aorist стигнав marks one finished event.
- Марко ми се јави кога бев на работа.
Marko called me when I was at work.
The кога clause comes second, so no comma is needed.
- Кога сум уморна, пијам чај.
When I am tired, I drink tea.
With the present, кога describes a habit. A woman is speaking.
- Кога заврши филмот, сите станаа.
When the film ended, everyone stood up.
Two finished events, one after the other.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out ќе when the event is in the future.
Кога дојдеш, ќе јадеме.Кога ќе дојдеш, ќе јадеме.A perfective present like дојдеш cannot stand alone after кога. For a future event, put ќе after кога.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Saying when combines кога and the past tenses.
Related Patterns
- кога ќеFuture Time Clauses
For a future event, кога is followed by ќе.
Level 3 - додекаWhile and Until
Додека links two events that happen at the same time.
Level 3 - откако / пред даAfter and Before
Откако and пред да put one event after or before another.
Level 3 - штомAs Soon as
Штом means as soon as.
Level 3 - Aorist and Imperfect in a Story
Shows how the aorist and imperfect share the work in a story.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice кога in Bubblegum
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