па / бе / де / ма

Conversational Particles

Level 5Sounds Like pa; be; de; ma

Па = well, so: Па, добро. (Well, OK.) Бе, де and ма add feeling among friends: Ајде де! (Come on!) Ма немој! (No way!)

How It Works

Па: well, so.

  • Starting a reply: Доаѓаш ли? Па, добро. (Are you coming? Well, OK.)
  • Thinking or hesitating: Како си? Па... може и подобро. (How are you? Well... it could be better.)
  • Alone as a question: Па? (So? And then?) Па што? (So what?)
  • Joining the next step or a result: Беше уморен, па си легна рано. (He was tired, so he went to bed early.)

Бе: emphasis between friends. It adds force and often calls to the listener: Што правиш, бе? (What are you doing, man?) Не, бе! (No way!) Абе or а бе can start a sentence: Абе, остави го. (Oh, just leave it.)

Де: come on. It follows a command or a word and makes it more urgent or impatient: Ајде де! (Come on!) Кажи де! (Come on, tell me!) Добро де, ќе дојдам. (All right, all right, I will come.) Do not confuse it with да in ајде да (let's).

Ма: oh, come on. At the start of a reply it waves an idea away or shows disbelief: Ма немој! (No way! You don't say!) Ма остави! (Oh, forget it!) At the end of a sentence it can also call to a woman or girl: Дојди, ма!

When to use them. Бе, де and ма sound close and familiar. With friends they are warm, but with a teacher, a stranger or anyone you call Вие, they sound rude. Па is fine in almost any conversation.

Examples (6)

  1. Па, добро, ќе пробам.

    Well, OK, I will try.

    Word by Word: Well, good, will try-I.

  2. Беше уморен, па си легна рано.

    He was tired, so he went to bed early.

    Word by Word: Was tired, so himself lay-down early.

  3. Ајде де, доцниме!

    Come on, we are late!

    Word by Word: Come-on de, are-late-we!

  4. Што правиш, бе?

    What are you doing, man?

    Word by Word: What do-you, be?

    Use бе only with people you know well.

  5. Ма немој! Навистина?

    No way! Really?

    Word by Word: Ma don't! Really?

  6. Кажи де, што се случи?

    Come on, tell me, what happened?

    Word by Word: Tell de, what self happened?

Common Mistakes

  • Writing де instead of да before a verb.

    Ајде де одиме. (meaning: Let's go.)
    Ајде да одиме.

    To say "let's", ајде needs да before the verb: ајде да одиме (let's go). Де is a separate word that ends a phrase: Ајде де! (Come on!)

How It Connects

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

па / бе / де / маLevel 5Conversational Particles

Learn This First

Conversational particles build on ами and address.

Words in This Pattern

бедема