премногу / доволно / доста

Too Much and Enough

Level 3Sounds Like premnogu; dovolno; dosta

премногу = too much, too many; доволно = enough; доста = quite, a fair amount, or enough: Премногу работиш (You work too much), Немам доволно време (I don't have enough time), Доста е! (That's enough!).

How It Works

Премногу is пре- plus многу, and it means more than is good. Многу е скапо (It is very expensive) only describes the price. Премногу е скапо (It is too expensive) says the price is a problem. The opposite is премалку (too little): Јадеш премалку (You eat too little).

Доволно means enough. Put a noun straight after it, with no preposition: доволно време, доволно пари. Unlike English big enough, доволно comes before an adjective or adverb: доволно голем, доволно брзо. To say what it is enough for, add за да: Немам доволно пари за да го купам (I don't have enough money to buy it).

Доста has two sides. Before a noun, adjective or adverb it means quite, fairly, a good amount: доста добро (quite good), доста луѓе (quite a few people). On its own it means enough, usually in the sense of stop: Доста е! (That's enough!), Доста ми е (I've had enough).

These words also describe how much is done, like other adverbs: Спиеш доволно? (Do you sleep enough?). For amounts compared with each other, see многу, повеќе and најмногу.

Examples (6)

  1. Премногу работиш.

    You work too much.

  2. Чевлите се премногу скапи.

    The shoes are too expensive.

    Премногу comes before the adjective and says the price is a problem.

  3. Немам доволно време.

    I don't have enough time.

    No preposition goes between доволно and the noun.

  4. Дали собата е доволно голема?

    Is the room big enough?

    Доволно comes before голема, the reverse of English big enough.

  5. Филмот беше доста добар.

    The film was quite good.

  6. Доста е, одиме дома!

    That's enough, we're going home!

    On its own, доста means enough in the sense of stop.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting доволно after the adjective, as in English.

    Собата е голема доволно.
    Собата е доволно голема.

    Доволно always comes before the adjective or adverb it describes.

  • Adding од between доволно and the noun.

    Немам доволно од време.
    Немам доволно време.

    Before a plain noun, доволно, премногу and доста need no preposition. Од is used only for part of a definite group: доста од студентите (quite a few of the students).

How It Connects

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

премногу / доволно / достаLevel 3Too Much and Enough

Learn This First

Too much and enough follow comparing amounts.

Words in This Pattern

доволнодостадоста