Articles With Place Names
Towns and most countries have no article: во Охрид, во Македонија. Many rivers, seas and larger regions usually take it: Вардарот, Дунавот, на Балканот. Plural mountain names such as Алпите and Карпатите take it too.
How It Works
No article. Towns and villages, most countries and continents, and single mountains stay bare: Живеам во Охрид. Одиме во Грција. Европа, Кораб, Пелистер. Country and region names in -ија, such as Македонија, Италија and Пелагонија, also go without it.
Usually with the article. Many large geographic features take it, especially masculine names that end in a consonant:
- rivers: Вардарот, Дунавот: Скопје лежи на Вардарот.
- seas and oceans: Егејот, Атлантикот
- some regions: на Балканот, на Арктикот
River names are also used bare, especially in writing and in lists: реките Вардар и Треска.
Plural names of mountain ranges and states take the article: Алпите, Карпатите, Родопите, Соединетите Американски Држави. Towns with plural names, such as Кочани and Кавадарци, stay bare like other towns.
Names with an adjective. If the name is an adjective in -ски plus a common noun such as езеро, море or полуостров, the adjective takes the article: Охридското Езеро, Јадранското Море, Балканскиот Полуостров. If the second word is itself a name, there is usually no article: Северна Македонија, Западен Балкан. So you usually say на Балканот but на Западен Балкан. The rule that the first word carries the article is explained in the article on adjectives.
With a common noun in front. Words like реката, градот and планината take the article, and the name stays bare: реката Вардар, градот Скопје.
Every word of a multi-word place name starts with a capital letter: Охридско Езеро, Шар Планина. See capital and small letters.
Examples (6)
- Живеам во Охрид, во Македонија.
I live in Ohrid, in Macedonia.
Word by Word: I-live in Ohrid, in Macedonia.
Towns and countries have no article.
- Скопје лежи на Вардарот.
Skopje lies on the Vardar.
Word by Word: Skopje lies on Vardar-the.
- Ова лето одиме на Охридското Езеро.
This summer we are going to Lake Ohrid.
Word by Word: This summer we-go on Ohrid-the Lake.
The adjective охридско carries the article.
- Алпите се највисоките планини во Западна Европа.
The Alps are the highest mountains in Western Europe.
Word by Word: Alps-the are highest-the mountains in Western Europe.
- Ситуацијата на Балканот е сложена.
The situation in the Balkans is complicated.
Word by Word: Situation-the on Balkan-the is complex.
- Дунавот минува низ четири главни града.
The Danube flows through four capital cities.
Word by Word: Danube-the passes through four main cities.
Common Mistakes
Putting the article on a town name in an ordinary sentence.
Живеам во Скопјето.Живеам во Скопје.Town names stay bare in ordinary sentences. Скопје already names one place, so it needs no article.
Leaving the article off a plural mountain name.
Алпи се највисоките планини во Западна Европа.Алпите се највисоките планини во Западна Европа.Plural mountain names such as Алпите and Карпатите take the article.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Articles with place names follow when to use the article.
Related Patterns
- -от / -та / -то / -теThe Definite Article
The article forms that place names take.
Level 1 - новиот / новатаThe Article on Adjectives
Why the adjective carries the article in Охридското Езеро.
Level 2 - во / на + PlaceBeing Somewhere
Which preposition goes with a place: во Охрид, на Балканот.
Level 1 - Capital and Small Letters
Every word of a multi-word place name starts with a capital letter.
Level 4 - Adjectives From Nouns in -ски / -енAdjectives from Nouns
How adjectives such as охридски are made from place names.
Level 4
Practice Articles With Place Names in Bubblegum
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