за да

Purpose with За Да

Level 3Sounds Like za da

To say in order to or so that, use за да and a present-form verb: Учам македонски за да разговарам со баба ми.

How It Works

Macedonian has no infinitive, so English to buy or in order to buy becomes за да + a verb with a personal ending.

The verb form: after за да the verb is always in the present form, whatever the time of the main clause:

  • present: Учам македонски за да разговарам со баба ми.
  • past: Отидов во продавница за да купам леб.
  • future: Ќе заштедам пари за да патувам.

A single goal is usually expressed with a perfective verb (купам, видам), and an ongoing activity with an imperfective one (разговарам, учам). See свршен глагол по да; ќе; ако.

Different subjects: the verb ending tells you who: Ти го давам бројот за да ми се јавиш. (I am giving you the number so that you can call me.)

Negative purpose: put не after да: Станав рано за да не задоцнам. (I got up early so as not to be late.)

Just да: after verbs of motion, such as оди and дојде, plain да is often enough: Дојдов да те видам. (I came to see you.) With a noun instead of a verb, use за alone (see за + именка).

Examples (6)

  1. Учам македонски за да разговарам со баба ми.

    I am learning Macedonian so that I can talk with my grandmother.

    Word by Word: I-learn Macedonian for to I-talk with grandmother my.

  2. Отидов во продавница за да купам леб.

    I went to the shop to buy bread.

    Word by Word: I-went to shop for to I-buy bread.

    The main verb is past, but купам stays in the present form after да.

  3. Станав рано за да не задоцнам.

    I got up early so as not to be late.

    Word by Word: I-got-up early for to not I-am-late.

  4. Ти го давам бројот за да ми се јавиш.

    I am giving you the number so that you can call me.

    Word by Word: To-you it I-give number-the for to to-me yourself you-call.

    The ending of јавиш shows that you, not I, will call.

  5. Зборувај побавно за да те разберат.

    Speak more slowly so that they understand you.

    Word by Word: Speak slower for to you they-understand.

  6. Дојдов да те видам.

    I came to see you.

    Word by Word: I-came to you I-see.

    After a verb of motion, plain да can express purpose.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out да.

    Учам македонски за разговарам со баба ми.
    Учам македонски за да разговарам со баба ми.

    За alone is a preposition for nouns. Before a verb, purpose needs за да.

  • Putting the verb after да into the past.

    Отидов во продавница за да купив леб.
    Отидов во продавница за да купам леб.

    After за да the verb stays in the present form. The past time is already shown by отидов.

How It Connects

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

за даLevel 3Purpose with За Да

Learn This First

Purpose clauses combine за and да + present.

Words in This Pattern

за да