'Да' Clauses after Verbs of Wishing/Wanting
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Bulgarian has no infinitives; use 'да' plus a conjugated present tense verb to express 'wanting' or 'wishing'.
- Use 'да' + Present Tense after verbs like 'искам' (want) or 'желая' (wish).
- Conjugate both verbs: 'Искам да ям' (I want to eat) vs 'Искаш да ядеш' (You want to eat).
- If subjects differ, change the second verb: 'Искам да дойдеш' (I want you to come).
Conjugating 'Искам' (to want) + 'Да' + 'Работя' (to work)
| Person | Main Verb | Particle | Second Verb |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Аз (I)
|
искам
|
да
|
работя
|
|
Ти (You)
|
искаш
|
да
|
работиш
|
|
Той/Тя/То (He/She/It)
|
иска
|
да
|
работи
|
|
Ние (We)
|
искаме
|
да
|
работим
|
|
Вие (You pl.)
|
искате
|
да
|
работите
|
|
Те (They)
|
искат
|
да
|
работят
|
Meanings
A construction used to express desires, intentions, or requests where the second action is dependent on the first verb of volition.
Direct Desire
Expressing what the speaker themselves wants to do.
“Желая да пътувам по света.”
Influencing Others
Expressing a wish for someone else to perform an action.
“Настоявам да ми кажеш истината.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
V1 + да + V2
|
Искам да пея.
|
|
Negative
|
Не + V1 + да + V2
|
Не искам да пея.
|
|
Question
|
V1 + ли + да + V2?
|
Искаш ли да пееш?
|
|
Different Subjects
|
V1 (Subj A) + да + V2 (Subj B)
|
Искам ти да пееш.
|
|
Past Tense Wish
|
V1 (Past) + да + V2 (Present)
|
Исках да пея.
|
|
Future Wish
|
Ще искам да пея.
|
I will want to sing.
|
Spectre de formalité
Желая да си тръгна. (Leaving a location)
Искам да си тръгна. (Leaving a location)
Искам да изчезвам. (Leaving a location)
Бия камшика. (Leaving a location)
The 'Да' Connection
Verbs of Volition
- Искам I want
- Желая I wish
Target Action
- Ям I eat
- Спя I sleep
English vs Bulgarian
Exemples par niveau
Искам да пия вода.
I want to drink water.
Той иска да спи.
He wants to sleep.
Искаш ли да дойдеш с мен?
Do you want to come with me?
Майка ми иска да уча.
My mother wants me to study.
Желаем да Ви информираме за промяната.
We wish to inform you about the change.
Не исках да те нараня.
I didn't want to hurt you.
Настоявам да се преразгледа решението.
I insist that the decision be reconsidered.
Копнея да се върна в родината си.
I long to return to my homeland.
Би било добре да не се опитваш да ме заблуждаваш.
It would be good if you didn't try to deceive me.
Претендирам да бъда изслушан внимателно.
I claim the right to be listened to carefully.
Всяко негово действие издаваше неистовото му желание да властва.
Every action of his betrayed his frantic desire to rule.
Не че не искам да дойда, а просто не мога.
It's not that I don't want to come, it's just that I can't.
Facile à confondre
Both translate to 'that' in some contexts, but 'да' is for wishes and 'че' is for facts.
Erreurs courantes
Искам да ял.
Искам да ям.
Искам ти да дойде.
Искам ти да дойдеш.
Исках да отидох.
Исках да отида.
Настоявам че той дойде.
Настоявам той да дойде.
Structures de phrases
Искам да ___(verb)___.
Искам ти да ___(verb)___.
Real World Usage
Искам да поръчам една бира.
Искаш ли да се видим?
Желая да допринеса за успеха на фирмата.
The 'To' Shortcut
No Past Tense after Да
Smart Tips
Check if the first verb expresses a wish; if so, put 'да' between them and conjugate both.
Focus entirely on the second person. The first verb is just the 'trigger'.
Prononciation
The 'Да' Stress
The particle 'да' is usually unstressed and leans on the following verb.
Desire Intonation
Искам да спя! ↘
Falling intonation at the end of the 'да' clause indicates a firm wish.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Think of 'Да' as the 'Glue' that sticks two conjugated verbs together because they can't touch without it.
Association visuelle
Imagine a bridge labeled 'ДА' connecting two islands. On one island is the 'Wanter' and on the other is the 'Action'. You cannot cross without the 'ДА' bridge.
Rhyme
When you want to do a task, 'Да' is all you have to ask!
Story
Ivan wants to eat. In English, he 'wants to eat'. But in Bulgaria, Ivan is so active that even his second verb needs to work (conjugate). So he says 'I want that I eat'.
Word Web
Défi
Write 5 things you want to do this weekend using 'Искам да...' and 3 things you want your best friend to do using 'Искам да [friend's name]...'.
Notes culturelles
When offering food, Bulgarians use 'Искаш ли да...' constantly. Declining often requires a 'да' clause too: 'Не искам да те безпокоя' (I don't want to bother you).
Bulgarian lost its infinitive during the Middle Bulgarian period (12th-15th century) as part of the Balkan Sprachbund development.
Amorces de conversation
Какво искаш да правиш през уикенда?
Къде желаете да пътувате следващата година?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
Тя иска да ___ на кино.
Find and fix the mistake:
Искам ти да дойде.
Choose the correct translation for 'I wanted to see you'.
Score: /3
Exercices pratiques
3 exercisesТя иска да ___ на кино.
Find and fix the mistake:
Искам ти да дойде.
Choose the correct translation for 'I wanted to see you'.
Score: /3
FAQ (6)
Mostly yes, if it's a verb of wanting, needing, or starting an action. It's the universal connector.
You say `Искам да не ходя`. The `не` goes right before the second verb.
Yes, they are homonyms. Context always makes it clear which one is which.
Because it expresses a mood of desire or possibility rather than a statement of fact.
No, omitting 'да' would make the sentence ungrammatical and nonsensical.
They go after 'да' and before the verb: `Искам да ти кажа`.
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
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Mastered
In Other Languages
Quiero que...
Bulgarian uses this even when the subject is the same, whereas Spanish uses an infinitive.
Je veux que...
Bulgarian 'да' is used for both same-subject and different-subject desires.
Ich will ... zu ...
German has a dedicated infinitive form; Bulgarian does not.
...たい (...tai)
Japanese modifies the verb itself rather than using a subordinate clause.
أريد أن (Urīdu an...)
Arabic has specific subjunctive endings, while Bulgarian uses the standard present tense.
