# All Slavic: Imperative of "can" - ever used?



## bardistador

Is the imperative of moći/мочь/moc ever used?

What contexts would it be used in?

In Russian, for example, a "ne znaju" (I don't know) can be answered with "uznaj" (know! - meaning: find out).  "Know" as an imperative is almost never used as a standalone word.  It exists in certain phrases "know full well" and "know your enemy" but by itself or even with negative "don't know" makes little sense.

The imperative of "be" is used often.

How common/uncommon is the usage of the imperative forms of moći?  Can it be used alone?  Can it be used in negative "don't can"?

Is it used as is (mozi/mogni) or is it prefixed/made imperfective/made frequentative?

Thank you all.


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## Panceltic

In Slovenian, it is never used. I am not even sure if it exists. The hypothetical form would be *mozi*, but I haven't ever heard it used. *Znaj* and *vedi* (know) are used, as is *bodi* (be).

The prefixed form of *moči* is *pomoči* [or *pripomoči*] (to help), but it is also obsolete and replaced by imperfective *pomagati*.


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## Christo Tamarin

Probably, as there is a trace, some time ago, this imperative form was used in Slavo-Balkanic (Bulgarian/Macedinian), but only in negative.

*"Не мози!" => "Немой!"

"Немой!" means "Do not".

Examples: "Немой да плачеш!" "Немой плака!" "Do not cry!"


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## Sanduleak

In Slovak, the word *can* has two meanings: 1. *môcť *(to can, to be possible, to be able), 2. *vedieť *(to know). 

The imperative of *vedieť *is *vedz! *(2nd sg), *vedzme!* (1st pl.), *vedzte!* (2nd pl.). Negative *nevedz!*, *nevedzme!*, *nevedzte!*
The imperative of *môcť* is *môž! *(2nd sg.), *môžme! *(1st pl.), *môžte! *(2nd pl.). Negative *nemôž!*, *nemôžme!*, *nemôžte!*

It's not very usual to use this verbs in imperative, mostly in cases like this:
A: Neurobím to, lebo neviem ako. (I won't do it, because I don't know how to do it.)
B: Tak nevedz. (Well, so continue not knowing.)

A: Chcem môcť prísť na Vianoce domov. (I want to be able to come home for Christmas.)
B: Tak môž. (Well, so be able.)

The imperative of *vedieť *is used in more cases:
Vedzte, že nie ste sami. (Know that you are not alone.)
Vedzte či nevedzte, bol to pre nás ťažký rok. (You may or may not know it, it was a difficult year for us.)
It's also in the Bible a lot:
Vedzte, že náš Pán je Boh. (Know that the Lord is God.)

The imperative forms *môžme *and *môžte *are often incorrectly used for the 1st and the 2nd person of plural in present tense: my môžme, vy môžte instead of the correct forms my môžeme, vy môžete.


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## rusita preciosa

In Russian you can make an imperative from *мочь*, but to me that would sound awkward.

- я не могу! (I can't / I'm not able!)

- а ты моги! /  (well, can / be able!)
- а ты смоги!  (well, become able!)


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## korisnik

The proper BCS form is (our ought to be?) *mozi*/*mogni *for 2SG, but to my knowledge it's almost never used (if at all).

There's an alternative irregular form - *moj*, and it's derived from the now defective negation *nemoj *("don't", _ne + moći_). This imperative _*moj*_ can sometimes sarcastically/ironically/humorously used as a response to _nemoj_. Like for example "Ma nemoj" ("You don't say") to which one might reply "ma moj".

Other common verbs like _know_, _be_, etc. do have an imperative form, as do various derived prefixed forms of _moći_ (_smoći_, etc.).


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## Lubella

in Ukrainian:
does not exist the imperative of могти or змогти


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## Azori

Sanduleak said:


> In Slovak, the word *can* has two meanings: 1. *môcť *(to can, to be possible, to be able), 2. *vedieť *(to know).


To know? Are you sure?

*can* = 1. _môcť (mať možnosť)_ 2. _vedieť, dokázať, byť schopný_

Here "vedieť" isn't synonymous with the verb "poznať" (mať vedomosť) = to know, to be aware of something


> A: Chcem môcť prísť na Vianoce domov. (I want to be able to come home for Christmas.)



Chcem môcť prísť?  Are you serious?


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## bibax

Czech:

only the prefixed forms:

pomoci (to help) - pomoz, pomozme, pomozte;
přemoci (to overpower) - přemoz, přemozme, přemozte;
domoci - domoz, ...;
vymoci - vymoz, ...;
etc.

The only unprefixed 3rd person sing. imperative form is quite archaic:

_Petr Veliký vydal v Rusích zákon: „Kdo čísti a psáti neumí, nebudiž na veřejný úřad dosazen, ani *nemoziž* dědictví po svém otci nastoupiti."_

*nebudiž* and *nemoziž* - 3rd pers. sing. imperative of _not to be_ and _cannot_;


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## marco_2

In Polish the imperative of *móc *doesn't exist, from *wiedzieć *is used like in Slovak, e.g.:

_*Wiedz*_*, że zawsze możesz na mnie liczyć *(= _You should know you can always count on me)._


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## Sanduleak

Azori said:


> To know? Are you sure?
> 
> *can* = 1. _môcť (mať možnosť)_ 2. _vedieť, dokázať, byť schopný_
> 
> Here "vedieť" isn't synonymous with the verb "poznať" (mať vedomosť) = to know, to be aware of something



Well, I should have used this example:
A: Nepôjdem plávať, lebo to neviem. (I won't go swimming because I can't swim.)
But there is no way to translate the answer in english:
B: Tak nevedz. (Well, so continue not "canning"??)

That's why I prefered the first example. 




Azori said:


> Chcem môcť prísť?  Are you serious?



Yes, I am. I had to use an extreme example because we almost never use this form. If you can come with some better sentence that could be answered with "Tak nemôž", please write it here, I am anxious to know it. Really. 
(What about "Chcem môcť chodiť", "Chcem môcť rozprávať", "Chcem môcť chodiť von"... What's wrong with this?)


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## Azori

Sanduleak said:


> (What about "Chcem môcť chodiť", "Chcem môcť rozprávať", "Chcem môcť chodiť von"... What's wrong with this?)


I would use: "Chcem chodiť" or "Chcel/a by som chodiť".


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## Panceltic

Panceltic said:


> In Slovenian, it is never used. I am not even sure if it exists. The hypothetical form would be *mozi*, but I haven't ever heard it used.



This may also be due to the fact that we don't even use the verb *moči*, except in negative sentences. Otherwise, it has been replaced by the "lahko + verb" structure.


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## morior_invictus

You *know* full well (what I mean)! = Ty veľmi dobre *vieš* (čo tým myslím / čo mám na mysli)!
*Know* your enemy! = *Poznaj* svojho nepriateľa!


Sanduleak said:


> A: Neurobím to, lebo neviem ako. (I won't do it, because I don't know how to do it.)
> B: Tak nevedz. (Well, so continue not knowing.)


I would never emphasize A's inability to do something in your example. What's important in A's statement is that they won't do something in question and thus B's natural reply would be "Tak to nesprav!" (or sometimes "Tak to neurob!").


Sanduleak said:


> A: Chcem môcť prísť na Vianoce domov. (I want to be able to come home for Christmas.)
> B: Tak môž. (Well, so be able.)


"chcem môcť prísť" (as well as "Tak môž!") sounds terrible and wrong to me. Azori's "chcel by som" is fine. Again, if I wanted to emphasize A's statement, "Tak chci!" (or even "Tak príď!") would be what I would go for.


Sanduleak said:


> Vedzte či nevedzte, bol to pre nás ťažký rok.


"*Vedzte alebo nie*, bol to pre nás ťažký rok." sounds better to me.


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## Karton Realista

It doesn't exist in Polish, usually the dialog goes:
"Nie mogę!" (I can't!) 
"To przez nogę i znów mogę!" (Then through leg and again I can!) 
Lol, it even rhymes in English.


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## ilocas2

Czech:

no, imperative of *moct* is not normally used, only jokingly


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