сум + Verbal Adjective

States with Сум

Level 3Sounds Like sum + glagolska pridavka

Use сум with a verbal adjective to describe a result: Продавницата е затворена (The shop is closed).

How It Works

Form. Use the right form of сум and a verbal adjective that agrees with the subject, as in adjectives after be: Продавницата е затворена, Писмото е напишано, Прозорците се отворени.

Time. Only сум changes for time: Вратата е отворена (now), Вратата беше отворена (then, see past forms of be), Вратата ќе биде отворена (later, see future forms of be).

State, not action. This pattern describes how things are. For the action itself, use an ordinary verb: Продавницата се затвора во осум (The shop closes at eight) versus Продавницата е затворена (The shop is closed). Many everyday adjectives are really verbal adjectives: уморен (tired), облечен (dressed), роден (born).

Going further. Adding the doer with од gives the passive with од. With verbs of motion, the same shape can act as a perfect in speech: Дојден сум вчера. See the be-perfect in speech.

Examples (6)

  1. Продавницата е затворена.

    The shop is closed.

    Word by Word: Shop-the is closed.

    Затворена agrees with the feminine продавница.

  2. Писмото е напишано, само треба да го испратам.

    The letter is written; I just need to send it.

    Напишано is neuter to match писмо.

  3. Вратата беше отворена кога стигнавме.

    The door was open when we arrived.

    Беше moves the state into the past.

  4. Многу сум уморен денес.

    I am very tired today.

    Уморен comes from умори (to tire). A woman says уморна.

  5. Масата е поставена за шест луѓе.

    The table is set for six people.

    The table is in the state that setting it left.

  6. Утре банките ќе бидат затворени.

    The banks will be closed tomorrow.

    Ќе бидат moves the state into the future.

Common Mistakes

  • Not matching the gender of the subject.

    Писмото е напишан.
    Писмото е напишано.

    Писмо is neuter, so the verbal adjective takes -о, as any adjective would.

  • Using the l-form to describe a state.

    Вратата е отворила.
    Вратата е отворена.

    The l-form belongs to the past tenses of the doer. To say what state the door is in, use the verbal adjective отворена.

How It Connects

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

сум + Verbal AdjectiveLevel 3States with Сум

Learn This First

States with сум combine the verbal adjective and сум + adjective.

Words in This Pattern