The Transgressive

Level 5

The transgressive ends in -úc, -uc, -iac or -ac and means "while doing": Idúc domov, stretol som suseda (Walking home, I met a neighbor). It is mainly used in writing.

How It Works

How to form it. Start from the third person plural of the present tense and add -c:

  • idú → idúc, nesú → nesúc, volajú → volajúc, pracujú → pracujúc
  • robia → robiac, sedia → sediac, vedia → vediac
  • stoja → stojac, boja sa → bojac sa (after j only -ac)
  • after a long syllable the ending is short, as in the rhythmic law: píšu → píšuc

Some verbs add -aj-: chápu → chápajúc. Reflexive sa and si stay: usmievajúc sa.

Same subject. The transgressive has no subject of its own. It always describes what the subject of the main verb is doing: Usmievajúc sa, podala mi ruku. — she smiled and she shook hands. It never changes for gender or number.

Timing. From an imperfective verb it means the two actions happen at the same time. From a perfective verb it usually means the action came just before: Vrátiac sa domov, ľahol si. (Having come home, he lay down.) See aspect.

Commas and style. A transgressive phrase is separated by a comma. It belongs to written, formal or literary Slovak; in speech, use a clause with keď or zatiaľ čo: Keď som išiel domov, stretol som suseda. A few transgressives have become fixed phrases: súdiac podľa, počnúc.

Examples (6)

  1. Idúc domov, stretol som suseda.

    Walking home, I met a neighbor.

    Word by Word: Going home, met I-have neighbor.

  2. Usmievajúc sa, podala mi ruku.

    Smiling, she shook my hand.

    Word by Word: Smiling herself, she-gave me hand.

    The form is the same for a woman or a man.

  3. Nevediac, čo robiť, zavolal otcovi.

    Not knowing what to do, he called his father.

    Word by Word: Not-knowing, what to-do, he-called to-father.

  4. Sediac pri okne, čítala list.

    Sitting by the window, she read the letter.

    Word by Word: Sitting by window, she-read letter.

  5. Pracoval, spievajúc si pesničku.

    He worked, singing a song to himself.

    Word by Word: He-worked, singing himself song.

  6. Vrátiac sa domov, ľahol si do postele.

    Having returned home, he lay down in bed.

    Word by Word: Having-returned himself home, he-lay himself into bed.

    From a perfective verb: the return came first.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a transgressive whose doer is not the subject of the main verb.

    Idúc domov, začalo pršať.
    Keď som išiel domov, začalo pršať.

    The rain was not walking home. A transgressive must share its subject with the main verb; otherwise use a keď clause.

  • Adding -júc to an -iť verb.

    Robijúc domáce úlohy, počúval hudbu.
    Robiac domáce úlohy, počúval hudbu.

    Build the form from the they-form: robia → robiac. Only verbs with -ú or -u in that form take -úc or -uc.

  • Keeping the long ending after a long syllable.

    Píšúc list, plakala.
    Píšuc list, plakala.

    After the long syllable pí-, the rhythmic law shortens the ending: píšuc.

How It Connects

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The TransgressiveLevel 5

Learn This First

Before The Transgressive, learn Present Active Participles. The transgressive is related to the present active participle.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.