шта значи / како се каже
Asking About Words
Use Шта значи...? (What does ... mean?) to decode a Serbian word you don't know, and Како се каже...? (How do you say ...?) to ask how to say an idea or English word in Serbian.
How It Works
When building conversations in Serbian, you will frequently need to clarify vocabulary. These two patterns are your core repair tools:
1. Шта значи [X]? (What does [X] mean?)
• The verb значити (to mean) appears in the third-person singular: значи.
• If you refer specifically to 'this word', remember that the noun реч (word) is a feminine noun ending in a consonant (feminine consonant nouns). Therefore, use the feminine demonstrative: ова реч, never masculine *овај реч or neuter *ово реч.
• When quoting an entire phrase (even one with plural words), keep the verb singular because the quoted utterance acts as a single entity: Шта значи „добри људи”?
• If you explicitly use a plural subject noun, the verb matches in plural: Шта значе ове речи? (What do these words mean?).
2. Како се каже [X] на српском? (How do you say [X] in Serbian?)
• Word Order and Clitics: The word се is an enclitic (short pronouns and clitic order) and cannot stand first in a clause. In the question, it attaches immediately into second position right after the question word: Како се каже...? (or Како се то каже?, Како се на српском каже [X]?). In the answer, because nothing precedes the verb, се must follow the verb: Каже се... (never *Се каже...).
• Language Expression: Use the preposition на followed by the locative singular masculine: на српском (short for на српском језику) because it describes the medium/state of speaking. Note that while на српски (accusative) is standard when indicating destination with translation verbs (e.g., превести на српски), with каже се you express the language used: на српском.
3. Politeness
Because Како се каже is impersonal, it naturally avoids choosing between informal ти and polite ви. To make your inquiry even more polite, simply add извините at the start: Извините, шта значи ова реч?
Examples (5)
- Извините, шта значи ова реч?
Excuse me, what does this word mean?
Word by Word: Excuse me, what means this word?
A polite, standard question when reading or listening. Notice that 'ова реч' uses the feminine demonstrative 'ова'.
- Како се каже „book” на српском?
How do you say "book" in Serbian?
Word by Word: How itself says "book" on Serbian?
Notice the enclitic 'се' placed directly after 'Како', and 'на српском' in the locative case.
- Каже се „књига”.
You say "knjiga".
Word by Word: Says itself "knjiga".
The standard answer mirrors the question using 'Каже се' (literally, 'It is said').
- Шта значи „хвала лепо”?
What does "hvala lepo" mean?
Word by Word: What means "thank-you nicely"?
The verb 'значи' stays in the singular because the quoted phrase functions as a single title or unit.
- Шта значе ове нове речи?
What do these new words mean?
Word by Word: What mean these new words?
When the grammatical subject is an explicit plural noun ('ове нове речи'), the verb inflects as third-person plural: 'значе'.
Common Mistakes
Using the wrong demonstrative gender with 'реч'
Шта значи ово реч?Шта значи ова реч?Even though 'реч' ends in a consonant, it belongs to the feminine i-stem noun class. It requires the feminine demonstrative 'ова', never neuter 'ово' or masculine 'овај'.
Omitting or misplacing the enclitic 'се' in 'Како се каже'
Како каже на српском?Како се каже на српском?The particle 'се' creates the impersonal passive ('is said'). Omitting 'се' mistakenly changes the question to 'How does he/she say?'. Also remember that 'се' must immediately follow 'Како'.
Using the wrong preposition or case for the language name
Како се каже у српском?Како се каже на српском?In Serbian, expressing 'in a language' requires the preposition 'на' with the locative case ending '-ом' ('на српском'), not 'у'.
Related Patterns
- хвала / молим / извинитеPolite Everyday Phrases
Common courtesy formulas like 'извините' (excuse me) are frequently paired with vocabulary questions to soften the request.
Level 1 - можете ли / још једном / споријеRepairing a Conversation
Essential conversation repair phrases used alongside word inquiries when asking speakers to slow down or repeat.
Level 2 - не знам / не разумемSaying You Do Not Know
Phrases for expressing a lack of comprehension that typically precede asking what a word means.
Level 1 - Feminine Consonant Nouns
Explains why the noun 'реч' (word) takes feminine modifiers like 'ова' despite ending in a consonant.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice шта значи / како се каже in Bubblegum
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