чаша вода / килограм јаболка
Amounts and Containers
чаша вода (a glass of water), шише вино (a bottle of wine): Macedonian uses no word for of here.
How It Works
The pattern: measure or container + noun, side by side. Common measure words are чаша (glass), шолја (cup), шише (bottle), парче (piece), кутија (box), килограм or кило (kilo) and литар (litre).
The second noun: use the singular for things you pour or cut (чаша вода, парче леб, литар млеко) and the plural for things you count (килограм јаболка, кутија чоколади).
More than one: only the measure word becomes plural: две чаши вода, три шишиња вино. Masculine measure words take the count form after a number: два килограма јаболка, два литра млеко (see бројна множина: два дена; три часа).
Other words change the meaning:
- чаша вода — a glass of water (the water to drink)
- чаша за вода — a water glass (a glass for water, perhaps empty); see за + именка
- чашата на Марко — Marko's glass (ownership, see на за припадност: куќата на Марко)
Words of amount such as малку and многу also go straight before the noun: малку вода (see многу; малку). So does половина: половина леб.
Examples (6)
- Ве молам, една чаша вода.
A glass of water, please.
Word by Word: You I-beg, one glass water.
- Купив килограм јаболка.
I bought a kilo of apples.
Word by Word: Bought-I kilo apples.
- Сакаш ли парче леб?
Would you like a piece of bread?
Word by Word: Want-you question piece bread?
- Донесовме шише вино.
We brought a bottle of wine.
Word by Word: Brought-we bottle wine.
- Секое утро пијам шолја кафе.
I drink a cup of coffee every morning.
Word by Word: Every morning I-drink cup coffee.
- Ни требаат два литра млеко.
We need two litres of milk.
Word by Word: To-us are-needed two litres milk.
Литар is masculine, so it takes the count form литра after два.
Common Mistakes
Adding на to translate English "of".
Сакам чаша на вода.Сакам чаша вода.На shows who something belongs to. A measure and its contents simply stand side by side.
Keeping a countable noun in the singular.
Купив килограм јаболко.Купив килограм јаболка.Apples are counted, so the plural јаболка is used after килограм.
Saying чаша за вода when you want water to drink.
Една чаша за вода, ве молам.Една чаша вода, ве молам.Чаша за вода is a glass meant for water, which could be empty. Чаша вода is a glass with water in it.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Amounts combine quantity words and numbers.
Related Patterns
- два дена / три часаCount Forms After Numbers
Masculine measure words take the count form after numbers: два килограма, три литра.
Level 2 - Noun + на + OwnerPossession with На
На marks ownership, so it is not used between a measure and its contents.
Level 1 - половина / третина / четвртинаFractions
Fractions work the same way: половина леб.
Level 3 - колку чиниAsking Prices
Measures come up often when asking prices at the market: Колку чини килограм домати?
Level 1 - за + NounFor and About
За after a container gives its purpose: чаша за вода is a water glass.
Level 2
Practice чаша вода / килограм јаболка in Bubblegum
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