Addressing Someone
Петар → Петре!, господин → господине!, мајка → мајко! This form is only for calling or speaking to someone.
How It Works
Macedonian nouns have no case endings (see именки без падежни наставки), but a special form survives for calling or addressing someone: the vocative.
Masculine nouns usually add -е: брат → брате, пријател → пријателе, господин → господине, професор → професоре, Горан → Горане. In Петар → Петре, the а before the last consonant drops. Some one-syllable nouns take -у instead: маж → мажу. Names that end in a vowel do not change: Марко!, Никола!
Feminine nouns in -а often change it to -о: мајка → мајко, сестра → сестро, госпоѓа → госпоѓо, ќерка → ќерко. Many nouns and names in -ка or -ица take -е: тетка → тетке, Милица → Милице. Many women's first names are simply called as they are in everyday speech: Ана!
Neuter nouns and plurals have no vocative: Дете, дојди!, Деца, ајде!, Дами и господа!
Only for address: when the person is the subject or object of a sentence, use the ordinary form: Петар дојде. but Петре, дојди!
Tone: with family and friends the vocative sounds warm and familiar; брате is also a friendly word among male friends. With господин and госпоѓа it is the normal polite form: Извинете, господине. See титули и обраќање: господин; госпоѓа; госпоѓица.
Examples (6)
- Петре, дојди овде!
Petar, come here!
Word by Word: Petar-voc, come here!
- Добро утро, мајко!
Good morning, Mum!
Word by Word: Good morning, mother-voc!
- Извинете, господине, каде е станицата?
Excuse me, sir, where is the station?
Word by Word: Excuse, sir-voc, where is station-the?
- Сестро, ти благодарам за сѐ.
Thank you for everything, sister.
Word by Word: Sister-voc, to-you I-thank for everything.
- Брате, каде си?
Where are you, brother?
Word by Word: Brother-voc, where you-are?
Among male friends, брате is also a friendly way to say mate or buddy.
- Марко, те чекаме!
Marko, we are waiting for you!
Word by Word: Marko, you we-wait!
Most names that end in a vowel, such as Марко, do not change.
Common Mistakes
Using the vocative for someone you are talking about.
Петре дојде вчера.Петар дојде вчера.Петре is only for calling Petar. When he is the subject of the sentence, use the ordinary form Петар.
Giving сестра the masculine ending -е.
Сестре, дојди!Сестро, дојди!Сестра changes -а to -о when you call her: сестро.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The vocative builds on noun forms and forms of address.
Related Patterns
- господин / госпоѓа / госпоѓицаTitles and Formal Address
Polite address uses the vocative: господине, госпоѓо.
Level 3 - здраво / добар ден / довидувањеGreetings and Goodbyes
Greetings are often followed by the vocative: Добро утро, мајко!
Level 1 - почитуван / со почитFormal Letter Phrases
Formal letters also address the reader directly: Почитуван господине.
Level 4 - Old Case Forms
The vocative and these fixed phrases are the last traces of the old case endings.
Level 6
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Addressing Someone in Bubblegum
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