за време на / во текот на
During
To say during, put за време на or во текот на before a noun: За време на одморот читав многу. (During the holiday I read a lot.)
How It Works
за време на + noun — at the time of an event or activity:
- за време на одморот (during the holiday)
- за време на часот (during the lesson)
- за време на ручекот (during lunch)
во текот на + noun — somewhere in, or across, a period of time. It is a little more formal and is common with words for time:
- во текот на денот (during the day)
- во текот на неделата (during the week)
- во текот на годината (over the course of the year)
Both are followed by a noun or noun phrase, usually with the article: за време на летниот одмор.
With a clause, use додека: if a verb follows, you need a conjunction instead: Додека јадевме, зборувавме. (While we were eating, we talked.) See додека and кога за време.
Do not confuse: за два часа means in two hours (see пред + време; за + време), and на време means on time. With seasons and parts of the day you can also say преку зима, преку ден (see низ; преку; кон).
Examples (5)
- За време на одморот читав многу.
During the holiday I read a lot.
Word by Word: For time of holiday-the I-was-reading much.
- Во текот на денот ќе ти се јавам.
I will call you during the day.
Word by Word: In course-the of day-the will to-you self I-call.
- Не зборувај за време на филмот.
Do not talk during the film.
Word by Word: Not talk for time of film-the.
- Во текот на годината цените пораснаа.
Over the course of the year, prices went up.
Word by Word: In course-the of year-the prices-the grew.
- За време на ручекот зборувавме за работата.
During lunch we talked about work.
Word by Word: For time of lunch-the we-were-talking about work-the.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out на.
За време одморот читав многу.За време на одморот читав многу.The phrase is always за време на, with на before the noun. The same goes for во текот на.
Putting a clause after за време на.
За време на јадевме, гледавме телевизија.Додека јадевме, гледавме телевизија.За време на needs a noun after it. When a verb follows, use додека: Додека јадевме. With a noun you can say За време на вечерата.
How It Connects
Learn This First
During follows time prepositions.
Related Patterns
- додекаWhile and Until
Додека means while and introduces a clause with a verb, where за време на needs a noun.
Level 3 - когаSaying When Something Happened
Кога also opens a time clause, as in кога бев мал.
Level 3 - низ / преку / конThrough Across and Toward
Преку зима and преку ден are short ways to say during a season or the day.
Level 3 - сега / денес / утре / вчераSaying When
These simple time words often appear alongside phrases of duration.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice за време на / во текот на in Bubblegum
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