oko + Genitive

Around or Approximately

Level 3

Oko can mean around or approximately.

How It Works

In oko kuće, the house is the spatial reference point. Walking around a house does not change oko into an accusative preposition.

In oko pet sati, oko marks an approximate time or duration. A clock-time reading and a length-of-time reading depend on the surrounding sentence.

Numeral phrases have their own internal case patterns. Learn them as complete expressions rather than expecting the number and every noun to gain visibly different endings.

Examples (3)

  1. Šetamo oko kuće.

    We are walking around the house.

    Kuće is genitive singular after spatial oko.

  2. Doći ću oko pet sati.

    I will come at about five o’clock.

    The future arrival gives a clock-time reading.

  3. Čekali smo oko pola sata.

    We waited for about half an hour.

    Oko makes the duration approximate.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

oko + GenitiveLevel 3Around or Approximately

Learn This First

The governing word selects a genitive noun phrase, so identify the genitive form before expanding this construction.

Words in This Pattern