Reported Forms

Level 4Sounds Like prekažan način: bil; došol

To pass on news you did not see yourself, use the bare l-form: Тој бил во Америка. (He was in America, I hear.) · Се оженил минатата година. (He got married last year, apparently.)

How It Works

Macedonian can show how you know what you are saying. When you pass on something another person told you, you use the l-form of the verb (see л-форма: -л; -ла; -ло; -ле).

Form: in the he, she, it and they forms the l-form stands alone, with no сум. It agrees with the subject:

  • Тој бил во Америка. — He was in America, I hear.
  • Марија заминала за Германија. — Marija has left for Germany, they say.
  • Тие дошле вчера. — They came yesterday, apparently.

Watch for verbs that change their stem: дојде → дошол, дошла, дошле; рече → рекол; оди → одел.

What it adds: English needs extra words such as I hear, they say or apparently. Macedonian puts that meaning into the verb itself. Compare:

  • Тој беше во Америка. — He was in America. (I know it, I vouch for it.)
  • Тој бил во Америка. — He was in America, from what I hear.

The same bare form is also the ordinary perfect, so Тој бил во Америка can simply mean He has been to America. Context, and words such as наводно, tell you which meaning is intended. The choice between the two is explained in аорист наспроти л-форма.

With ти and Вие: when you repeat what you heard about the person you are talking to, the auxiliary stays: Овие денови си бил болен? (I hear you were sick these days?) In the first person, сум + l-form usually talks about your own experience instead (see сум + л-форма).

Where you meet it: gossip and news from friends, retold events, and stories and folk tales (see си имало едно време). Words such as наводно (allegedly) often go with it (see наводно; изгледа; се чини). Other tenses have reported forms too, such as ќе дојдел (he will come, they say); see прекажани форми во сите времиња.

Examples (6)

  1. Тој бил во Америка.

    He was in America, I hear.

    Word by Word: He been in America.

  2. Се оженил минатата година.

    He got married last year, apparently.

    Word by Word: Self married last-the year.

  3. Марија заминала за Германија.

    Marija has left for Germany, they say.

    Word by Word: Marija left for Germany.

    Заминала is feminine to agree with Марија.

  4. Вчера врнело во Битола.

    It rained in Bitola yesterday, I am told.

    Word by Word: Yesterday rained in Bitola.

  5. Сите билети биле продадени за еден час.

    All the tickets were sold within an hour, they say.

    Word by Word: All tickets been sold for one hour.

  6. Овие денови си бил болен?

    I hear you were sick these days?

    Word by Word: These days you-are been sick?

    With ти the auxiliary си stays; the speaker is checking news heard from someone else.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding е before the l-form in the third person.

    Тој е бил во Америка.
    Тој бил во Америка.

    In the he, she and they forms there is no auxiliary: the l-form stands alone.

  • Using дојдел instead of дошол for a finished event.

    Марко дојдел вчера.
    Марко дошол вчера.

    For a finished event, the l-form of дојде is дошол, дошла, дошло, дошле. The form дојдел never stands alone; it only follows words such as ќе, да or ако: ќе дојдел.

  • Using the reported form for something you saw yourself.

    Го гледав натпреварот: Македонија победила.
    Го гледав натпреварот: Македонија победи.

    You watched the match, so you are not passing on a report. The bare l-form would sound as if you only heard the result. Use the aorist победи.

How It Connects

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Reported FormsLevel 4

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Reported forms build on the perfect with сум.

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