да / не / и / а

Simple Answers and Joining

Level 1Sounds Like da; ne; i; a

Да means yes and не means no. И means and. А also means and, but it sets two different things side by side: Јас сум Ана, а ти? (I'm Ana, and you?)

How It Works

Да and не. Short answers often repeat the verb:

  • Имаш ли време? – Да, имам. (Yes, I do.)
  • Имаш ли време? – Не, немам. (No, I don't.)

The same не also means not before a verb: see Negating a Verb.

И joins words and sentences of the same kind: Ана и Марко, Јадам и пијам. It can also mean too: И јас (Me too). See Only and Also.

А puts two things side by side when they differ, or turns the talk to someone else:

  • Јас пијам кафе, а таа пие чај. (I drink coffee, and she drinks tea.)
  • Јас сум од Скопје, а ти? (I'm from Skopje, and you?)

The short question А ти? is the usual way to pass a question back.

А or но? Use но (but) when the second part goes against what you expect from the first: Сакам да дојдам, но немам време. See But and Or.

Commas. Put a comma before а and но, but not before и in a simple list. See Commas Before Contrast Words.

Examples (6)

  1. Дали си гладен? – Да, многу.

    Are you hungry? – Yes, very.

  2. Зборуваш ли германски? – Не, не зборувам.

    Do you speak German? – No, I don't.

    The first не means no, and the second means not.

  3. Сакам кафе и чај.

    I like coffee and tea.

  4. Јас сум Ана, а ти?

    I'm Ana, and you?

    А ти? turns the question back to the other person.

  5. Тој е учител, а таа е лекарка.

    He is a teacher, and she is a doctor.

  6. Ана и Марко се од Битола.

    Ana and Marko are from Bitola.

Common Mistakes

  • Using и to pass a question back.

    Јас сум Ана, и ти? (meaning and you?)
    Јас сум Ана, а ти?

    И ти? means you too. To ask the other person the same question, use а ти?

  • Leaving out the comma before а.

    Тој е учител а таа е лекарка.
    Тој е учител, а таа е лекарка.

    Macedonian spelling puts a comma before а when it joins two parts of a sentence.

How It Connects

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

да / не / и / аLevel 1Simple Answers and Joining

Learn This First

Short answers and joining words follow simple questions.

Words in This Pattern

иаа