од + Cause
Cause with Од
Од + a noun can name the cause of a feeling or reaction: Плачеше од радост. (She was crying with joy.) Умирам од глад. (I'm starving.)
How It Works
Common pairs.
- плаче од радост (cry with joy), скока од среќа (jump for joy)
- умира од глад (be starving), се тресе од студ (shake with cold), трепери од страв (tremble with fear)
- црвенее од срам (blush with shame)
- не може да спие од бучавата (cannot sleep because of the noise)
Article or not. A general feeling usually has no article: од радост, од страв. A specific cause takes one: од бучавата (the noise outside), од радоста што те виде (from the joy of seeing you).
Other ways to give a reason. Поради also goes before a noun and fits reasons for events and decisions: Поради дождот, натпреварот е одложен. (Because of the rain, the match has been postponed.) For a whole clause, use затоа што: Плачеше затоа што беше среќна. Од is the natural choice for a feeling or body state that causes a reaction.
Од has other jobs. It also means "from" (од ... до), "than" (in comparisons) and "by" (in the passive). The words around it tell you which meaning is meant.
Examples (6)
- Плачеше од радост.
She was crying with joy.
Word by Word: Was-crying from joy.
- Умирам од глад.
I'm starving.
Word by Word: I-die from hunger.
An everyday exaggeration, like English "I'm dying of hunger".
- Се тресеше од студ.
He was shaking with cold.
Word by Word: Self was-shaking from cold.
- Не можев да спијам од бучавата.
I couldn't sleep because of the noise.
Word by Word: Not I-could to I-sleep from noise-the.
- Децата скокаа од среќа.
The children were jumping for joy.
Word by Word: Children-the were-jumping from happiness.
- Трепери од страв.
She is trembling with fear.
Word by Word: Trembles from fear.
Common Mistakes
Using an adjective after од.
Умирам од гладен.Умирам од глад.Од needs a noun. Гладен is the adjective "hungry"; the noun is глад (hunger).
Using a verb after од.
Плачеше од радува.Плачеше од радост.Радува is a verb. After од, use the noun радост. For a whole clause, use затоа што instead.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Cause with од follows because of.
Related Patterns
- бидејќи / затоа штоGiving a Reason
Use затоа што or бидејќи when the cause is a whole clause.
Level 3 - од ... доFrom One Point to Another
The basic "from ... to" meaning of од.
Level 2 - од / отколкуSaying than
Од also means "than": Помал е од брат си.
Level 2 - сум + Verbal Adjective + одThe Passive with Од
Од also marks who did the action in a passive: напишано од Марко.
Level 4 - ми е студено / ми е жалFeelings with a To-Me Pronoun
Other ways to talk about feelings and body states.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice од + Cause in Bubblegum
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