# All Slavic languages: the mountain has been walked around by Johnny.



## Thomas1

Hi,

I've just got remembered by a radio programme about one sentence in Polish and I wonder if it is peculiar to my language or it is also common in other Slavic ones.


Could you please translate the following sentences into your languages?
_Jasiu obszedł górę._
Johnny has walked around the mountain.
_Góra została przez Jasia ____._
The mountain has been walked around by Johnny.
Is it possible to say the second sentence in your tongue using the same verb (in perfective aspect) for _walk around_ in both of them? it is impossible in Polish. Some verbs don't have past participles some people who don't know this nuance create hilarious "structures". The one that slayed me was _Góra została obesznięta._   If there are cases that take after this one, please give them too.


Tom


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## cajzl

In Czech:
*Jeník obešel horu.*

The passive construction is impossible as the verb *jíti/jdu* has no passive participle. But I can imagine a neologism like *jit, jita, jito*:

*Hora byla obejita (Jeníkem).*

more often *Zákony byly obejity.*


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## papillon

I'm sure I've understood your question correctly, but let me give it a try in Russian.

Иван Николаевич обошел горy.
Гора была обойдена Иваном Николаевичем.

Иван Николаевич посмотрел на гору.
Гора была посмотрена Иваном Николаевичем, .... 
*but*
Иван Николаевич осмотрел гору.
Гора была осмотрена Иваном Николаевичем.

Did I get it?


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## Duya

Thomas1 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Could you please translate the following sentences into your languages?
> _Jasiu obszedł górę._
> Johnny has walked around the mountain.
> _Góra została przez Jasia ____._
> The mountain has been walked around by Johnny.
> 
> Is it possible to say the second sentence in your tongue using the same verb (in perfective aspect) for _walk around_ in both of them? it is impossible in Polish. Some verbs don't have past participles some people who don't know this nuance create hilarious "structures". The one that slayed me was _Góra została obesznięta._   If there are cases that take after this one, please give them too.



In Serbo-Croatian, the first one will read:

_Jovo je (za)obišao goru (planinu).

_The second one is next to impossible; it can be stretched to:

_Planina je (za)obiđena od strane__ Jove.

_But: 
1) We normally avoid passive constructs with explicit agent (Jovo in this case). They're mostly encountered in bureaucratic speech, and sound unnatural.
2) We can't use instrumental of Jovo in this context, as in Russian. Only a theta role of instrument is allowed here, as in e.g. _On je udaren čekićem_. (He was hit by a hammer), but not _On je udaren provalnikom _(He was hit by a burglar). "Od strane Jove" (by Jovo's side) can be used as a workaround (but I consider it substandard myself, and I'd prefer an active construct instead).
3) Even the passive participle of _(za)obići -> (za)obiđen_ sounds strange to me. (It is grammatical, though.)

(_zaobići_ means "walk around" i.e. avoid, while _obići_ can also mean "take a visit". I'm not sure which meaning is intended, but it's not central to the question anyway.)


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## Kriviq

This is the *passive voice*; in Bulgarian it can be applied to any *transitive verb*.


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## cyanista

Kriviq said:


> This is the *passive voice*; in Bulgarian it can be applied to any *transitive verb*.



In Russian, too, as far as I know. Papillon's example seem to confirm it.

In Belarusian the second sentence is either impossible or just extremely weird sounding. Not sure which.


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## Kriviq

cyanista said:


> In Russian, too, as far as I know. Papillon's example seem to confirm it.
> 
> In Belarusian the second sentence is either impossible or just extremely weird sounding. Not sure which.



In Bulgarian:

Иван погледна планината.
Планината бе погледната от Иван.

Иван огледа планината.
Планината бе огледана от Иван.

поглеждам - intransitive verb,
оглеждам - transitive verb.


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## Thomas1

cyanista said:


> In Russian, too, as far as I know. Papillon's example seem to confirm it.
> 
> In Belarusian the second sentence is either impossible or just extremely weird sounding. Not sure which.


Cyanista, could you please provide translation into Belarusian (would be great if you could make up this troublesome part, too )?


Tom


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## cyanista

Thomas1 said:


> Cyanista, could you please provide translation into Belarusian (would be great if you could make up this troublesome part, too )?



With pleasure. 

_Jasiu obszedł górę.
Ясь абышоў гару.

_No problems so far. 

_Góra została przez Jasia ____.
Гара была абыйдзена/абыдзена Ясем.

_The participle does exist and the sentence is _theoretically_ possible. Still, I've never heard абы_й_дзена used other than figuratively (абы_й_дзена ўвагай - gone unnoticed) so the phrase sounds _extremely_ unnatural. Belarusian doesn't make much use of причастия and деепричастия in general.


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## Outsider

You may find this earlier discussion interesting, as well.


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