ли

Bulgarian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *li.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [lʲi]
Audio (file)

Particle

ли • (li)

A question-forming interrogative particle for yes-no questions, it is put after the part of the sentence the question is about; not translated.
Искаш ли нещо за ядене?
Iskaš li nešto za jadene?
Would you like something to eat?
Ще ходиш ли там?
Šte hodiš li tam?
Are you going there?
Така ли?
Taka li?
Is that so?
Даде ли им Мария възможност да се извинят?
Dade li im Marija vǎzmožnost da se izvinjat?
Did Maria give them a chance to apologize?
Мария ли им даде възможност да се извинят?
Marija li im dade vǎzmožnost da se izvinjat?
Was it Maria who gave them a chance to apologize? (Or was it someone else?)
На тях ли Мария даде възможност да се извинят?
Na tjah li Marija dade vǎzmožnost da se izvinjat?
Was it to them that Maria gave a chance to apologize? (Or did she give it to someone else?)
Възможност да се извинят ли им даде Мария?
Vǎzmožnost da se izvinjat li im dade Marija?
Was it a chance to apologize that Maria gave them? (Or did she give them something else?)
Да се извинят ли им даде възможност Мария?
Da se izvinjat li im dade vǎzmožnost Marija?
Was it a chance to apologize that Maria gave them? (Or did she give them a chance to do something else?)
A question-forming interrogative particle used in multiple-choice questions, it is put after each option the person being asked can choose from; not translated.
Коя химикалка искаш – червената ли, синята ли, някаква друга ли?
Koja himikalka iskaš – červenata li, sinjata li, njakakva druga li?
Which pen do you want - the red one, the blue one or another one?
Used after other interrogatives for emphasis.
Какво ли искаше тоя човек?
Kakvo li iskaše toja čovek?
I wonder what that man wanted.
Къде ли се е дянала?
Kǎde li se e djanala?
I wonder where she could be.
used instead of a conjunction in indirect questions, if, whether
Попитах я иска ли нещо за ядене.
Popitah ja iska li nešto za jadene.
I asked her whether she wanted anything to eat.
Попитах го ще ходи ли там.
Popitah go šte hodi li tam.
I asked him if he was going there.
Synonym: дали (dali)
Used instead of a conjunction in subordinate conditional clauses, if.
Не тръгнеш ли веднага, ще закъснееш.
Ne trǎgneš li vednaga, šte zakǎsneeš.
If you don't leave right away, you'll be late.
Synonym: ако (ako)
Used instead of a conjunction in subordinate temporal clauses, when, as soon as, once, whenever, every time.
Видя ли го, ще му кажа.
Vidja li go, šte mu kaža.
When/As soon as I see him, I'll tell him.
Върнеше ли се вкъщи, веднага се захващаше да чисти.
Vǎrneše li se vkǎšti, vednaga se zahvaštaše da čisti.
Every time/Whenever she came home, she would immediately set to cleaning.
Започнеш ли веднъж, ще ти хареса.
Započneš li vednǎž, šte ti haresa.
Once you begin you’ll enjoy it.
започне ли да говори
započne li da govori
once he starts talking
дойде ли зимата
dojde li zimata
when/as soon as winter sets in
Synonyms: когато (kogato), щом (štom), щом като (štom kato)
Used to emphasize the continuous or energetic nature of an action; not translated.
Той пее ли, пее.
Toj pee li, pee.
He’s singing away/He’s singing for all he is worth.
Той работеше ли, работеше, без почивка.
Toj raboteše li, raboteše, bez počivka.
He worked on and on without a break.

Derived terms

едва ли (edva li)
едва ли не (edva li ne)
камо ли (kamo li)

Lezgi

Noun

ли • (li)

skin

Macedonian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *li.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [li]

Particle

ли • (li)

An interrogative particle used in yes-or-no questions.
Ќе ми помогнеш ли? ― Ḱe mi pomogneš li? ― Will you help me?
Synonym: дали (dali)

Usage notes

This particle is mostly placed after the verb or very rarely, at the end of the sentence (after all that follows the verb).

Russian

Alternative forms

ль (lʹ)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *li.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [lʲi]
Audio (file)

Particle

ли • (li)

(interrogative particle, placed after the first word in a sentence or phrase) Do/does/did...? Is/are/was/were...?
Зна́етели вы? ― Znájete li vy? ― Do you know?
Хорошо́ ли ему́? ― Xorošó li jemú? ― Is he okay?
Отпра́вилли я письмо́? ― Otprávil li ja pisʹmó? ― Did I send the letter?

Conjunction

ли • (li)

whether, if

Usage notes

The subordinate clause with ли expresses an occurrence (i.e., an event, incident, news, or rumor) that happened in the past or that could possibly happen in the future. In this specific case, the main clause shows confirming or denying the occurrence (as described in the subordinate clause with ли). For example:

Они спросят, отдыхал ли Андрей раньше. ― Oni sprosjat, otdyxal li Andrej ranʹše. ― They will ask if Andrei has been on a holiday before.

(The subordinate clause is an occurrence that happened in the past.)

Он не скажет, останется ли он дома. ― On ne skažet, ostanetsja li on doma. ― He will not say if he will stay home.

(The subject of the main clause and the subordinate clause denotes the same person "he". The subordinate clause is an occurrence that could possibly happen in the future.)

The main clause often has a verb that describes an occurrence, such as verbs pertaining to asking or talking. And also, depending on the context, the subordinate clause with ли could be regarded as indirect speech.

To make a sentence that expresses curiosity about a topic while using ли in the subordinate clause, интере́сно (interésno), .... is often used for the main clause. For example:

(Мне) интересно, будет ли она на тусовке. ― (Mne) interesno, budet li ona na tusovke. ― ((I) am interested (wonder) if she will be at the party.
Я вызвала такси, вышла, нашла - а её чуть не увели! Представляешь, уже стоит парень и интересуется не его ли такси я говорю - моя машинка! ― Ja vyzvala taksi, vyšla, našla - a jejó čutʹ ne uveli! Predstavljaješʹ, uže stoit parenʹ i interesujetsja ne jevo li taksi ja govorju - moja mašinka! ― I called a taxi, went outside, found it and my ride was almost stolen! Guess what, a guy had already been there and wondering if that was his cab. I said "that's my cab!"

To make a sentence that expresses doubt about a topic while using ли in the subordinate clause, (SUB) не знать (ne znatʹ), ...., (SUB) не помнить (ne pomnitʹ), ...., (SUB) сомнева́ться (somnevátʹsja), ...., and Тру́дно сказа́ть (Trúdno skazátʹ), .... are often used for the main clause. For example:

Я не знаю, говорит ли мой дедушка по-арабски. ― Ja ne znaju, govorit li moj deduška po-arabski. ― I don't know if my grandfather speaks Arabic.

(The main clause shows a doubtful attitude by not knowing whether the old man speaks Arabic.)

Я не помню, выключил ли я телевизор. ― Ja ne pomnju, vyključil li ja televizor. ― I don't remember if I turned off the television.

(The main clause shows a doubtful attitude by not remembering whether the television is turned off.)

Я сомневаюсь, курил ли я сигареты часто. ― Ja somnevajusʹ, kuril li ja sigarety často. ― I doubt that I smoked cigarettes often.

(The main clause shows a doubtful attitude by being skeptical about the smoking habit in the past.)

Трудно сказать, поймут ли волонтёры установки этого задания. ― Trudno skazatʹ, pojmut li volontjóry ustanovki etovo zadanija. ― It's difficult to tell that the volunteers understand the guidelines of this task.

(The main clause shows a doubtful attitude by having a difficulty of explaining about the volunteers' situation.)

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *li.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /li/

Particle

ли (Latin spelling li)

question-forming interrogative particle
да ли ме познајеш? ― do you know me?
јеси ли стигао на одредиште? ― did you reach the destination?
јесте ли га вид(ј)ели ― have you seen him?
гд(ј)е ли се само налазимо? ― where could we be?
кад ли ће доћи? ― when will they come?
је ли? ― Is it? (Is that so? Isn't that so?)
used as conjunction with да
да ли ― whether
немам појма да ли је дошао ― I have no idea if he came
as a conjunction if
покушаш ли ме напасти, ја ћу ти узвратити ― if you try to attack me, I'll retaliate
used as an emphatic intensifier
а сн(иј)ег пада ли пада ― the snow just keep falling on and on...
д(иј)ете плаче ли плаче ― the child just keeps crying