Seeing or Hearing Someone Do Something

Level 5

Verb of perception + accusative + infinitive: Videla som ich odchádzať (I saw them leaving). The same idea can be said with ako: Videla som, ako odchádzajú.

How It Works

The pattern. Verbs such as vidieť (see), počuť (hear), zbadať (notice) and cítiť (feel) can take an object and an infinitive:

  • Počul som ho spievať. (I heard him sing.)
  • Videla som ich odchádzať. (I saw them leaving.)
  • Často vidím suseda behať v parku. (I often see my neighbour running in the park.)

The accusative. The person you see or hear is the object, so use the accusative and the object pronouns ma, ťa, ho, ju, nás, vás, ich. Remember that animate masculine nouns end in -a: Videl som Petra odchádzať.

Aspect. The infinitive is usually imperfective, because you perceive the action while it is going on, so odchádzať is more usual here than odísť.

The alternative with ako. A clause with ako and a finite verb is just as common, especially in speech: Videla som, ako odchádzajú. Počul som, ako spieva. Both are correct. What you cannot do is put a finite verb straight after the object without ako.

Examples (6)

  1. Počul som ho spievať.

    I heard him sing.

    Word by Word: I-heard him to-sing.

  2. Videla som ich odchádzať.

    I saw them leaving.

    Word by Word: I-saw them to-leave.

  3. Často vidím suseda behať v parku.

    I often see my neighbour running in the park.

    Word by Word: Often I-see neighbour to-run in park.

  4. Počula som niekoho klopať na dvere.

    I heard someone knocking at the door.

    Word by Word: I-heard someone to-knock on door.

  5. Nikdy som ťa nepočul tak kričať.

    I have never heard you shout like that.

    Word by Word: Never I you not-heard so to-shout.

  6. Videli sme deti hrať sa na dvore.

    We saw the children playing in the yard.

    Word by Word: We-saw children to-play self in yard.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the perceived person in the nominative.

    Videla som oni odchádzať.
    Videla som ich odchádzať.

    The person you see is the object of vidieť, so use the accusative ich, not the subject pronoun oni.

  • Using a finite verb without ako.

    Počul som ho spieva.
    Počul som ho spievať.

    After the object use the infinitive spievať. If you want a finite verb, add ako: Počul som, ako spieva.

  • Using the dative for the person.

    Počula som mu hrať na klavíri.
    Počula som ho hrať na klavíri.

    Počuť takes a direct object in the accusative: ho, not the dative mu.

How It Connects

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

Seeing or Hearing Someone Do SomethingLevel 5

Learn This First

Before Seeing or Hearing Someone Do Something, learn The Accusative Case for Objects. The person is in the accusative.

Words in This Pattern

vidieťpočuť