# -li (chceš-li ...)



## Odriski

Hi everyone!
I have a question about the interrogative particle - are there any nterrogative particles existing in Czech languge? I know in Polish, it has "czy", in Russian, it has "ли". But what about in Czech? Can the suffix "-li" be some kind of interrogative particle? eg. Chceš-li kavu? Do you want coffee? 
I think if Czech has interrogative particles, then I can tell if it is a questioning sentence or declarative sentence in a Czech song(because when we sing a song, speaking intonation couldn't be expressed).
Thank you for your answers in advance.


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## marsi.ku

"-li" is not an interrogative particle, but a conditional conjunction, it means "*if*" and is formed from the word "*jestli/jestliže*", so "chceš-li" means "*if you want*" and not "do you want?".
And to answer you question about some interrogative particle existing: if you want to use someting, you can say "_jestlipak_" or "_zdalipak_". However you don't need to use it with each question, because you already know we can ask by intonation or by using some interrogative pronouns like "kdy", "kde", "jak" etc.


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## Odriski

Thank you!


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## Tchesko

marsi.ku said:


> "-li" is not an interrogative particle, but a conditional conjunction, it means "*if*"



It's true, at least in modern Czech.
In old Czech, it used to have 3 different functions: (1) interrogative particle for yes-no questions; (2) modal particle (that could be used e.g. to introduce questions in indirect speech or to show that the realisation of what is being said is uncertain); (3) conditional conjunction = if. _Source (in Czech)_

The interrogative function of -_li _is present in a very well known Czech folk song, _Ach synku, synku_:
_Ach, synku, synku, doma-li jsi? _Oh son, (my dear) son, are you at home?
Today one would rather say _Ach, synku, synku, jsi doma? (_and even so, the first 3 words would sound quite archaic).



marsi.ku said:


> "-li" is formed from the word "*jestli/jestliže*".



Actually it's the other way round: _jestli _is formed from the verbal form _jest _(former 3rd person sg of _být = _to be) and -_li_. So etymologically _jestli_ means "if (he/she/it) is" and _jestliže_ "if (it) is that".



marsi.ku said:


> And to answer you question about some interrogative particle existing: if you want to use someting, you can say "_jestlipak_" or "_zdalipak_". However you don't need to use it with each question, because you already know we can ask by intonation.



Exactly. I would just add, to answer Odriski's last question, that in songs you sometimes have to guess according to the context.

Example (taken from an existing song by Jan Nedvěd):
_Máš má ovečko dávno spát, i píseň ptáků končí.
_Litt. _(You) s__hall / my sheep (=darling) / long time ago / sleep, / even / song / of birds / is ending
_
When we listen to the song, we don't know whether it is written with punctuation like above or _Máš má ovečko dávno spát_? (with a question mark). The intonation is no help here.
However, given the context, the meaning is clearly declarative: "My darling, you should have been asleep for quite a while already, even the birds' song is about to end."
Several elements help us tell that the 1st part of the sentence is not a question: the use of _máš _rather than _nemáš _and the use of _dávno _("should you have been asleep for quite a while already?" would sound strange); and also the 2nd part of the sentence, hinting at a reason why she should be sleeping.


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## Odriski

Thanks, *Tchesko* that is to say, when use _nemáš_, it is more like questioning, right?


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## Tchesko

Correct.

As for the folk song I mentioned above (_Ach synku synku_), I'd like to add that many kids misunderstand the 1st verse due to this (nowadays) strange use of -_li_.


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## Nazacatku

What does it mean with -li comes after a verb?

For example: Zustane-li tedy ve ctenari...

Dekuji vam predem.


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## Mori.cze

jestli, pokud / if. 
Zustane-li tedy ve ctenari == pokud ve ctenari zustane (pocit) / if there remains (a feeling) in the reader


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## Nazacatku

Thanks!


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