што направи / каде беше

Asking About the Past

Level 2Sounds Like što napravi; kade beše

Put the question word first and use a past verb: Што направи вчера? (What did you do yesterday?), Каде беше? (Where were you?).

How It Works

Finished events. Use the aorist of a perfective verb: Што направи? (What did you do?), Каде отиде? (Where did you go?), Кога се врати? (When did you get back?), Што купи? (What did you buy?).

Where someone was. Use беше: Каде беше?, Каде бевте на одмор? (Where were you on holiday?)

An ongoing activity. Use the imperfect: Што правеше цел ден? (What were you doing all day?)

Who is meant. In the aorist and with беше, the you (singular) form equals the he or she form: Што направи? can ask about "you" or about "him". Context, a pronoun or a name makes it clear: Што направи Марко?

Yes-or-no questions. Use дали or ли: Дали го виде филмот?, Го виде ли филмот? See дали and ли.

Answering. Answer with the matching form: Каде беше? – Бев дома. Што купи? – Купив леб.

Examples (6)

  1. Што направи вчера?

    What did you do yesterday?

    Направи is the aorist of the perfective направи.

  2. Каде отиде минатиот викенд?

    Where did you go last weekend?

  3. Каде беше? Те барав цел ден.

    Where were you? I was looking for you all day.

    Беше asks where someone was; барав is an imperfect for the long search.

  4. Кога се вративте од Охрид?

    When did you get back from Ohrid?

    Вративте is the plural or polite you-form.

  5. Што правеше кога ти се јавив?

    What were you doing when I called you?

    The imperfect правеше asks about an activity in progress.

  6. Како ти помина викендот?

    How was your weekend?

    Word by Word: How to-you passed the-weekend?

Common Mistakes

  • Using the perfective present to ask about the past.

    Што направиш вчера?
    Што направи вчера?

    Направиш is a present form and cannot stand alone. A finished past event needs the aorist направи.

  • Using the present of сум with a past time.

    Каде е вчера?
    Каде беше вчера?

    With вчера, use the past form беше.

How It Connects

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што направи / каде бешеLevel 2Asking About the Past

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Asking about the past combines past forms and question words.

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