Macedonian, a South Slavic language, is the official language of North Macedonia. It’s closely related to Bulgarian and Serbian, and shares many linguistic traits with these languages. If you’re learning Macedonian, understanding how to discuss time and dates is essential for everyday communication. This article will guide you through the basics of telling time, days of the week, months, and expressing dates in Macedonian, complete with practical phrases you can start using right away.
Expressing Time in Macedonian
Discussing time in Macedonian starts with knowing the basic question: Колку е часот? (Kolku e chasot?) – What time is it? The response generally follows the format: Сеа е [час] часот. (Sea e [chas] chasot.) – It is [hour] o’clock. For example, if it’s three o’clock, you would say: Сеа е три часот. (Sea e tri chasot.)
For more specific times, like half-past or quarter-past, Macedonian uses:
– и половина (i polovina) after the hour for half-past, e.g., Сеа е три и половина. (Sea e tri i polovina.) – It’s half-past three.
– и четврт (i chetvrt) after the hour for quarter-past, e.g., Сеа е три и четврт. (Sea e tri i chetvrt.) – It’s quarter past three.
For indicating minutes past the hour, the structure is [час] и [минути] ([chas] i [minuti]), for example:
– Сеа е три и десет. (Sea e tri i deset.) – It is ten past three.
Days of the Week in Macedonian
Days of the week are straightforward in Macedonian, and knowing them helps in making appointments or planning events. The week starts with Monday:
– понеделник (ponedelnik) – Monday
– вторник (vtornik) – Tuesday
– среда (sreda) – Wednesday
– четврток (chetvrtok) – Thursday
– петок (petok) – Friday
– сабота (sabota) – Saturday
– недела (nedela) – Sunday
When you want to ask “What day is it today?” in Macedonian, you say: Кој ден е денес? (Koj den e denes?)
Months of the Year and Seasons in Macedonian
Months in Macedonian are also useful for discussing dates and planning. The months are:
– јануари (januari) – January
– февруари (fevruari) – February
– март (mart) – March
– април (april) – April
– мај (maj) – May
– јуни (juni) – June
– јули (juli) – July
– август (avgust) – August
– септември (septemvri) – September
– октомври (oktomvri) – October
– ноември (noemvri) – November
– декември (dekemvri) – December
To inquire about the month, you might ask: Кој месец е сега? (Koj mesec e sega?) – What month is it now?
The seasons in Macedonian are:
– пролет (prolet) – Spring
– лето (leto) – Summer
– есен (esen) – Autumn
– зима (zima) – Winter
Expressing Dates in Macedonian
When it comes to saying the date, Macedonian follows a similar structure to English. The format generally used is [day] [month]. For example:
– 24ти јули (24ti juli) – 24th July
If you want to ask “What is the date today?” you would say: Кој е датумот денес? (Koj e datumot denes?)
Conclusion
Mastering how to discuss time and dates in Macedonian not only enhances your vocabulary but also aids in your daily interactions and understanding of the culture. Practice these phrases, pay attention to the context in which they’re used, and engage in conversations with native speakers to hone your skills further. Remember, consistency is key in language learning, and every small step is a leap towards fluency.
