во / на + Place
Being Somewhere
Во means in (во куќата, во Скопје) and на means on or at (на масата, на работа, на море).
How It Works
Во = in.
- rooms and buildings: во кујната (in the kitchen), во хотелот (in the hotel)
- cities and countries: Живеам во Скопје. · Ана е во Германија.
- containers: во чашата (in the glass)
На = on or at.
- surfaces: на масата (on the table), на ѕидот (on the wall)
- activities and events: на работа (at work), на час (in class), на концерт (at a concert)
- open places: на пазар (at the market), на море (at the seaside), на плажа (on the beach)
Same words for "where" and "where to". Сум во Скопје (I am in Skopje) and Одам во Скопје (I am going to Skopje) use the same во. See Going Somewhere.
Home. Дома means at home by itself: Дома сум.
Nothing changes on the noun. Macedonian has no case endings, so маса stays маса after на (Nouns Without Case Endings). For more exact positions, such as under or behind, see Positions in Space.
Examples (6)
- Живеам во Скопје.
I live in Skopje.
Word by Word: Live-I in Skopje.
- Ана е во кафуле.
Ana is in a café.
Word by Word: Ana is in café.
- Телефонот е на масата.
The phone is on the table.
Word by Word: Phone-the is on table-the.
- Марко е на работа.
Marko is at work.
Word by Word: Marko is on work.
Work is an activity, so it takes на.
- Сме на море.
We're at the seaside.
Word by Word: Are-we on sea.
- Дома сум.
I'm at home.
Word by Word: Home am-I.
Дома needs no preposition.
Common Mistakes
Using во for something lying on a surface.
Телефонот е во масата.Телефонот е на масата.Во масата would mean the phone is inside the table itself. For on top of it, use на.
Adding a preposition to дома.
Сум во дома.Дома сум.Дома already means at home, so it stands alone.
Using во for being at work.
Марко е во работа.Марко е на работа.Being at work is an activity, so it takes на, just like на час and на концерт.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Being somewhere follows going somewhere.
Related Patterns
- дома / на работа / на училиштеHome Work and School
Collects the everyday places and their fixed preposition.
Level 2 - пред / зад / над / под / доPositions in Space
Adds more exact positions: in front of, behind, above, under, next to.
Level 2 - Nouns Without Case Endings
Explains why the noun after во or на keeps its normal form.
Level 1 - кајAt Someone's Place
Says someone is at a person's place: кај Ана.
Level 2 - сумPresent Forms of Be
Сум, си, е give the is and are in these sentences.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice во / на + Place in Bubblegum
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