-vší

Past Active Participles

Level 6

Take the infinitive stem of a perfective verb and add -vší, -všia or -všie: urobiť → urobivší, zavolať → zavolavší, vrátiť sa → vrátivší sa. The form describes a noun that had completed the action.

How It Works

Formation. Remove -ť from the infinitive of a perfective verb and add -vší (masculine), -všia (feminine) or -všie (neuter):

  • urobiť → urobivší
  • zvíťaziť → zvíťazivší
  • zavolať → zavolavší
  • vyliať sa → vyliavší sa
  • spoľahnúť sa → spoľahnuvší sa

Only perfective verbs have this form. Imperfective verbs use the present active participle in -úci / -iaci instead. Verbs like vyniesť or napiecť, whose infinitive stem ends in a consonant, have no -vší form in today's standard language. A reflexive sa or si stays with the participle: vrátivší sa vojaci.

Endings. The participle declines like cudzí, with long endings: zvíťazivší tím, vrátivšia sa matka, vyliavšie sa mlieko, o zvíťazivšom tíme. In the nominative plural it is vrátivší sa vojaci for men and vrátivšie sa lode for everything else.

Meaning and style. The participle describes a noun by an action it had completed: zvíťazivší tím is the team that had won. It is a compact, bookish alternative to a ktorý clause: tím, ktorý zvíťazil. It is rare even in formal writing. Learn to recognize it when you read, and use the ktorý clause when you speak.

Do not confuse it with the transgressive (vrátiac sa, returning), which never changes its ending and describes an action of the sentence's subject.

Examples (5)

  1. Zvíťazivší tím oslavoval až do rána.

    The team that had won celebrated until morning.

    Word by Word: Having-won team celebrated until morning.

    In everyday Slovak: Tím, ktorý zvíťazil, oslavoval až do rána.

  2. Vrátivší sa vojaci boli unavení a hladní.

    The soldiers who had returned were tired and hungry.

    Word by Word: Having-returned self soldiers were tired and hungry.

  3. Janka utrela mlieko, vyliavšie sa z rozbitej kanvy.

    Janka wiped up the milk that had spilled from the broken jug.

    Word by Word: Janka wiped milk, having-spilled self from broken jug.

    Mlieko is neuter, so the participle ends in -všie.

  4. Študent, úspešne urobivší skúšku, sa vrátil domov veselý.

    The student, having passed the exam, went home happy.

    Word by Word: Student, successfully having-done exam, self returned home cheerful.

  5. Vrátivšia sa matka našla deti už spiace.

    When the mother returned, she found the children already asleep.

    Word by Word: Having-returned self mother found children already sleeping.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -vší for an action happening at the same time.

    Ľudia čakavší na autobus sa triasli od zimy.
    Ľudia čakajúci na autobus sa triasli od zimy.

    Čakať is imperfective, and the waiting happens at the same time as the shivering. That needs the present participle in -úci, not -vší.

  • Using the men-only plural ending for other nouns.

    Vrátivší sa lode kotvili v prístave.
    Vrátivšie sa lode kotvili v prístave.

    Like cudzí, the participle ends in -vší in the nominative plural only for men. Lode (ships) take -všie.

How It Connects

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

-všíLevel 6Past Active Participles

Learn This First

Before Past Active Participles, learn Present Active Participles. -vší participles are the past counterparts of -úci participles.