Stress on the Third Syllable From the End

Level 1Sounds Like akcent na tretiot slog od kraǰot

Count back three syllables: ја́-бол-ко, у́-чи-тел → у-чи́-те-лот. Two syllables: ма́ј-ка.

How It Works

Two syllables: stress the first. ма́јка (mother), де́те (child), Ско́пје.

Three or more: stress the third from the end. пла́нина (mountain), ја́болко (apple), Македо́нија, маке́донски (Macedonian).

Endings move the stress: пла́нина → плани́ната (the mountain) → планина́рите (the mountaineers). Also у́чител → учи́телот (the teacher), and збо́рувам (I speak) → збору́ваме (we speak). See the definite article.

Short words join the next word: не and the short pronouns form one stress unit with the verb. So не знам (I don't know) is said like one word, stressed on не́, and не го видов (I didn't see it) is stressed on го́. See negating a verb.

Exceptions: many newer loanwords keep their own stress, as in литерату́ра (literature) and клише́ (cliché). Verbal adverbs in -јќи, such as оде́јќи (walking), and time words like година́ва (this year) are exceptions too. See this morning and this year.

The stress marks here are only a learning aid. Normal Macedonian text does not show stress.

Examples (6)

  1. Сакам јаболка.

    I like apples.

    Ја́болка: the third syllable from the end is ја.

  2. Учителот е тука.

    The teacher is here.

    У́чител becomes учи́телот, because the article adds a syllable.

  3. Зборуваме македонски.

    We speak Macedonian.

    Збору́ваме and маке́донски: both are stressed on the third syllable from the end.

  4. Планината е висока.

    The mountain is high.

    Плани́ната and ви́сока.

  5. Не знам.

    I don't know.

    Не and знам form one stress unit, stressed on не́.

  6. Живеам во Македонија.

    I live in Macedonia.

    Жи́веам and Македо́нија.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the stress in the same place after adding an ending.

    у́чителот
    учи́телот

    The rule counts from the end of the whole word. The article adds a syllable, so the stress moves one syllable to the right.

  • Stressing the second syllable from the end, as in many other languages.

    плани́на
    пла́нина

    Пла-ни-на has three syllables, so the stress goes on the third from the end: пла́.

How It Connects

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

Stress on the Third Syllable From the EndLevel 1

Learn This First

Fixed stress is learned once words can be read aloud.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.