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Macedonian language

The Macedonian language (македонски јазик) is an Eastern South Slavic language within the Indo-European family. It is spoken as a first language by approximately 1.6 to 2 million people, primarily in Macedonia, where it is the official language. Macedonian is also recognized as a minority language in parts of Albania, Romania, and Serbia.

Everyday communication

Although many Macedonians speak English, especially younger people, locals always find it charming when foreigners use a few Macedonian words. To enhance your experience in Skopje and throughout Macedonia, familiarizing yourself with common Macedonian phrases can be immensely helpful. Below is a curated list of some (everyday) formal expressions:

  • Hello - Zdravo (Здраво)

  • Good morning - Dobro utro (Добро утро)

  • Good evening - Dobrovecer (Добровечер)

  • Goodbye - Doviduvanje/Prijatno (Довидување/Пријатно)

  • Please - Ve molam (Ве молам)

  • Thank you - Vi blagodaram (Ви благодарам)

  • Yes - Da (Да)

  • No - Ne (Не)

  • You're welcome - Nema na što (Нема на што)

  • Excuse me - Izvinete (Извинете)

  • How are you? - Kako ste? (Како сте?)

  • I'm fine, thank you - Dobro sum, vi blagodaram (Добро сум, ви благодарам)

  • What is your name? - Kako se vikate? (Како се викате?)

  • My name is ... - Moeto ime e... (Моето име е...)

  • Do you speak English? - Dali zboruvate angliski? (Дали зборувате англиски?)

  • I don't understand - Ne razbiram (Не разбирам)

  • Can you help me? - Može li da mi pomognete? (Може ли да ми помогнете?)

  • I don't know - Ne znam (Не знам)

Useful travel phrases

  • I would like a menu, please - Bi sakal/a meni, ve molam (Би сакал/а мени, ве молам)

  • Do you have a menu in English? - Dali imate meni na angliski? (Дали имате мени на англиски?)

  • A table for two, please - Masa za dvaјca, ve molam (Маса за двајца, ве молам)

  • I would like to order - Bi sakal da naračam (Би сакал да нарачам)

  • Can I have some water, please? - Može li voda, ve molam? (Може ли вода, ве молам?)

  • Can I have the bill, please? - Može li smetkata, ve molam? (Може ли сметката, ве молам?)

  • Can I pay by card? - Može li da platam so kartička? (Може ли да платам со картичка?)

  • The meal was delicious! - Jadenjeto beše vkusno! (Јадењето беше вкусно!)

  • Where is the restroom? - Kade e toaletot?  (Каде е тоалетот?)

  • Where is the nearest bus stop? - Kade e naјbliskata avtobuska stanica? (Каде е најблиската автобуска станица?)

  • How do I get to the city center? - Kako da stignam do centarot? (Како да стигнам до центарот?)

  • Is it far from here? - Dali e daleku od tuka? (Дали е далеку од тука?)

  • How long does it take to get there? - Kolku vreme treba da stignam tamu? (Колку време треба да стигнам таму?)

  • Can you show me on the map? - Može li da mi pokažete na mapata? (Може ли да ми покажете на мапата?)

  • What time do you close? - Vo kolku časot zatvorate? (Во колку часот затворате?)

  • Do you sell souvenirs? - Dali prodavate suveniri? (Дали продавате сувенири?)

Macedonian alphabet

The Macedonian alphabet is a variation of the Cyrillic script, consisting of 31 distinct letters that accurately represent the sounds of the language. It was officially adopted in 1945, following linguistic reforms aimed at creating a clear and phonetic writing system. Each letter corresponds to a single sound, making Macedonian spelling highly predictable compared to languages with irregular pronunciation rules. 

Learning the Macedonian alphabet is essential for reading street signs, restaurant menus, and transport information, as well as for recognizing common words. Unlike some languages, where letter combinations create different sounds, each letter in Macedonian has a fixed pronunciation.

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

А а /a/
Б б /b/
В в /v/
Г г /ɡ/
Д д /d/
Ѓ ѓ /ɟ/
Е е /ɛ/
Ж ж /ʒ/
З з /z/
Ѕ ѕ /dz/
И и /i/
Ј ј /j/
К к /k/
Л л /l/
Љ љ /ʎ/
М м /m/
Н н /n/
Њ њ /ɲ/
О о /ɔ/
П п /p/
Р р /r/
С с /s/
Т т /t/
Ќ ќ /c/
У у /u/
Ф ф /f/
Х х /x/
Ц ц /ts/
Ч ч /tʃ/
Џ џ /dʒ/
Ш ш /ʃ/

In the video below, you can watch the first episode from the playlist of the Macedonian children's TV series "Bushava Azbuka," which will help you understand pronunciation. The series includes a total of 31 episodes, each corresponding to a letter of the Macedonian alphabet. In the video below it, you can hear a short dialogue in Macedonian.

Useful online resources

In addition, here are a few useful online resources for learning the Macedonian language for free on the internet. These platforms offer a variety of materials to help you practice vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar, making it easier to get familiar with the language at your own pace.
 

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