§ Basic use of 'godina'
The Serbian word for 'year' is godina. It's a feminine noun. This means it follows the same grammar rules as other feminine nouns in Serbian.
When you're talking about a single year, you'll use 'godina'.
Ovo je nova godina.
- Translation hint
- This is a new year.
§ Counting years: numbers and 'godina'
This is where it gets a little tricky. In Serbian, the form of 'godina' changes depending on the number you use with it.
- With the number 1 (jedna), you use godina (nominative singular).
- With numbers 2, 3, 4 (dve, tri, četiri), you use godine (genitive singular).
- With numbers 5 and up (pet, šest, etc.), you use godina (genitive plural).
Imam jednu godinu.
- Translation hint
- I am one year old. (Literally: I have one year.)
Imam dve godine.
- Translation hint
- I am two years old. (Literally: I have two years.)
Imam pet godina.
- Translation hint
- I am five years old. (Literally: I have five years.)
§ Prepositions with 'godina'
You'll often use prepositions with 'godina' to express when something happened or for how long.
- U + Genitive (u godini)
- This means 'in the year'. You'll use this when referring to a specific year.
Rođen sam u 1990. godini.
- Translation hint
- I was born in the year 1990.
- Za + Accusative (za godinu)
- This means 'in a year' or 'for a year', indicating a duration or a future point.
Vraćam se za godinu dana.
- Translation hint
- I'll be back in a year.
- Po + Locative (po godinama)
- This means 'by years' or 'according to years'. You might use it to talk about age groups.
Oni su razvrstani po godinama.
- Translation hint
- They are sorted by years (age).
§ Common phrases with 'godina'
Here are some useful phrases you'll hear often:
- Srećna Nova godina! - Happy New Year!
- Koliko imaš godina? - How old are you? (Literally: How many years do you have?)
- Pre X godina - X years ago
- Svake godine - Every year
- Prošle godine - Last year
- Sledeće godine - Next year
Srećna Nova godina!
- Translation hint
- Happy New Year!
Pre dve godine sam bio u Beogradu.
- Translation hint
- Two years ago I was in Belgrade.
Keep practicing these forms and you'll get the hang of it quickly. It's all about consistent exposure and usage.
Wusstest du?
The word 'godina' is related to 'god' (god) and 'godi' (to please/suit), reflecting an ancient understanding of time as a cycle that 'pleases' or 'suits' for different activities.
Wichtige Grammatik
Nouns ending in -a are typically feminine. 'Godina' is a feminine noun.
Ova godina je dobra. (This year is good.)
When counting years, different grammatical cases are used depending on the number. For numbers ending in 1 (osim 11), use the nominative singular: 'jedna godina' (one year).
Imam dvadeset jedna godina. (I am twenty-one years old.)
For numbers ending in 2, 3, or 4 (osim 12, 13, 14), use the genitive singular: 'dve/tri/četiri godine' (two/three/four years).
Prošle su tri godine. (Three years have passed.)
For numbers 5 and higher, use the genitive plural: 'pet godina' (five years).
Živim ovde pet godina. (I have lived here for five years.)
When referring to 'next year' or 'last year', specific adverbs/adverbial phrases are used: 'sledeće godine' (next year) and 'prošle godine' (last year).
Sledeće godine putujem u Srbiju. (Next year I am traveling to Serbia.)
Beispiele nach Niveau
Ova godina je bila sjajna.
This year was great.
Prošla godina je brzo prošla.
Last year passed quickly.
Sledeća godina će biti bolja.
Next year will be better.
Koliko godina imaš?
How many years do you have? (How old are you?)
Literally 'How many years do you have?' This is the common way to ask 'How old are you?'
Imam trideset godina.
I have thirty years. (I am thirty years old.)
Literally 'I have thirty years.' This is the common way to say 'I am thirty years old.'
Svake godine putujemo na more.
Every year we travel to the sea.
Pre dve godine sam se preselio.
Two years ago I moved.
To se dogodilo pre mnogo godina.
That happened many years ago.
Prošle godine sam putovao po celoj Evropi i video mnogo neverovatnih mesta.
Last year I traveled all over Europe and saw many incredible places.
Locative case for 'godina' (godini) with 'prošle' (last).
Ove godine planiram da završim master studije i zaposlim se u svojoj struci.
This year I plan to finish my master's studies and get a job in my profession.
Genitive case for 'godina' (godine) with 'ove' (this).
Sledeće godine ćemo se možda preseliti u veći stan, jer nam je ovaj postao pretesan.
Next year we might move to a bigger apartment because this one has become too small for us.
Genitive case for 'godina' (godine) with 'sledeće' (next).
Pre više godina, situacija je bila znatno drugačija, ekonomija je bila stabilnija.
Many years ago, the situation was significantly different, the economy was more stable.
Genitive plural for 'godina' (godina) with 'više' (more).
Nadam se da će ova godina doneti više mira i prosperiteta svetu.
I hope this year will bring more peace and prosperity to the world.
Nominative case for 'godina' (godina).
Svake godine organizuju festival filmske muzike u tom gradu.
Every year they organize a film music festival in that city.
Genitive case for 'godina' (godine) with 'svake' (every).
U godinama koje dolaze, verujem da ćemo videti značajan napredak u tehnologiji.
In the coming years, I believe we will see significant progress in technology.
Locative plural for 'godina' (godinama).
Bez obzira na sve izazove, svaka godina je nova prilika za rast i učenje.
Regardless of all challenges, every year is a new opportunity for growth and learning.
Nominative case for 'godina' (godina).
Wortherkunft
Proto-Slavic
Ursprüngliche Bedeutung: *godъ ("favorable time") + *-ina
Indo-EuropeanKultureller Kontext
The concept of 'godina' (year) in Serbian culture is deeply intertwined with agricultural cycles and religious holidays. Many traditional customs and sayings are tied to specific times of the year, marking periods of work, celebration, or remembrance. For example, the New Year (Nova Godina) is a major celebration, and 'Srećna Nova Godina!' (Happy New Year!) is a common greeting.
Teste dich selbst 54 Fragen
Ovo je nova ___. (This is a new year.)
The word 'godina' means 'year' and fits the context of 'new year'.
Koliko ___ imaš? (How many years do you have?)
'Godina' is the correct word for 'years' when asking about age.
Srećna Nova ___! (Happy New Year!)
'Nova godina' is the common Serbian phrase for 'New Year'.
Prošla ___ je bila dobra. (Last year was good.)
'Prošla godina' means 'last year'.
Svaka ___ ima dvanaest meseci. (Every year has twelve months.)
This sentence describes a characteristic of a 'year', so 'godina' is the correct choice.
Vidimo se sledeće ___. (See you next year.)
'Sledeće godine' is the correct way to say 'next year' in Serbian. Note the genitive case ending.
Listen to the common New Year's greeting. What word is used for 'year'?
Listen for how many months are in a year.
Listen to describe 'this year'.
Read this aloud:
Srećna Nova godina!
Focus: go-di-na
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
Koliko godina imaš?
Focus: ko-li-ko go-di-na i-maš
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
Godina brzo prolazi.
Focus: go-di-na brzo pro-la-zi
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Prošla ___ bila je veoma uspešna za našu kompaniju.
The sentence talks about a successful period for a company, and 'godina' (year) fits best in this context to indicate a longer duration.
Svake ___ putujemo na more.
'Godine' is the genitive form of 'godina' and is used here in the sense of 'every year'.
Nadam se da će sledeća ___ biti bolja.
The speaker is expressing hope for a better future period, and 'godina' (year) is the most logical choice.
Ona slavi rođendan jednom ___ .
'Godišnje' means 'annually' or 'yearly', which is appropriate for celebrating a birthday once a year.
Imamo planove za celu ___ unapred.
The sentence indicates planning for a significant period in advance, making 'godinu' (year, accusative case) the correct word.
Koliko ___ imaš?
This is a common way to ask 'How old are you?' in Serbian, literally 'How many years do you have?'.
What year were you born? (informal)
This year was difficult for many.
Happy New Year!
Read this aloud:
Koliko godina imaš?
Focus: go-DI-na
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
U kojoj si godini studija?
Focus: STU-di-ja
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
Želim ti uspešnu godinu.
Focus: U-spe-ŠNU
Du hast gesagt:
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Koji je sinonim za reč 'godina' u kontekstu fiskalnog perioda?
'Godina' se često koristi u finansijskom kontekstu kao 'fiskalna godina'.
Izaberite rečenicu gde se 'godina' koristi u smislu akademskog perioda:
U akademskom kontekstu, 'godina' označava nivo studija ili školovanja.
Koja od navedenih fraza NE koristi reč 'godina' na idiomatčan način?
Fraze 'preko cele godine', 'Srećna Nova godina' i 'godina proizvodnje' su uobičajene idiomatke upotrebe. 'Godina je duga' je doslovan opis, ne idiom.
Fraza 'Godine prolaze' znači da vreme brzo teče.
'Godine prolaze' je idiom koji ukazuje na brz protok vremena.
U izrazu 'godina za godinom', reč 'godina' se odnosi na naporan rad.
U izrazu 'godina za godinom', 'godina' se odnosi na ponavljanje ciklusa vremena, ne na naporan rad.
Kada kažemo 'u najboljim godinama', mislimo na period života punog mladosti i snage.
'U najboljim godinama' se odnosi na vrhunac života, obično u mladosti ili ranoj zrelosti, kada su ljudi najenergičniji i najproduktivniji.
The speaker is reflecting on the previous year's challenges.
The speaker is optimistic about the upcoming year.
The speaker is talking about the general concept of a new year.
Read this aloud:
Kako biste opisali najvažnije događaje u protekloj godini?
Focus: protekloj godini
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
Koje su vaše ambicije i planovi za sledeću godinu?
Focus: sledeću godinu
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
Da li smatrate da je svaka godina lekcija koju treba naučiti?
Focus: svaka godina lekcija
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) about a significant event that happened to you last year, using the word 'godina' at least once. Focus on describing the event and its impact.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Prošle godine sam putovao u Grčku, što je bio nezaboravan doživljaj. Ta godina mi je donela mnogo novih iskustava i prilika za učenje. Zahvaljujući tom putovanju, promenio sam pogled na svet i stekao nova prijateljstva.
Imagine you are discussing future plans with a friend. Write a short dialogue (2-3 exchanges) where you mention plans for the upcoming year ('sledeća godina') and reflect on the past year ('prošla godina').
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
A: Šta planiraš za sledeću godinu? B: Razmišljam o tome da upišem master studije. A ti? Kako ti je prošla godina? A: Moja prošla godina je bila puna izazova, ali i uspeha. Nadam se da će sledeća godina biti još bolja.
Describe a tradition or celebration that occurs annually in your culture or family. Use 'godina' to refer to the yearly occurrence and explain its significance.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Svake godine, moja porodica slavi Božić 7. januara. To je posebna tradicija koja nas okuplja i podseća na naše korene. Za nas, svaka nova godina donosi priliku za obnavljanje porodičnih veza i deljenje radosti.
Šta se dešava sa kompanijama koje prihvataju inovacije?
Read this passage:
U poslednjih nekoliko godina, digitalna transformacija je značajno promenila način na koji poslujemo. Kompanije koje nisu uspele da se prilagode novim trendovima često su doživljavale pad. Međutim, one koje su prihvatile inovacije, zabeležile su izuzetan rast iz godine u godinu. Ova godina je ključna za mnoge industrije.
Šta se dešava sa kompanijama koje prihvataju inovacije?
Tekst jasno navodi da 'one koje su prihvatile inovacije, zabeležile su izuzetan rast iz godine u godinu.'
Tekst jasno navodi da 'one koje su prihvatile inovacije, zabeležile su izuzetan rast iz godine u godinu.'
Na šta naučnici upozoravaju već godinama?
Read this passage:
Klimatske promene predstavljaju jedan od najvećih izazova sa kojima se čovečanstvo suočava u ovoj generaciji. Naučnici već godinama upozoravaju na posledice globalnog zagrevanja. Ako se globalne emisije gasova sa efektom staklene bašte ne smanje drastično u narednim godinama, posledice će biti nepovratne. Svaka godina je bitna u borbi protiv ovog fenomena.
Na šta naučnici upozoravaju već godinama?
Pasus kaže: 'Naučnici već godinama upozoravaju na posledice globalnog zagrevanja.'
Pasus kaže: 'Naučnici već godinama upozoravaju na posledice globalnog zagrevanja.'
Zašto je učenje o prošlim godinama važno?
Read this passage:
Kulturno nasleđe jednog naroda razvija se i menja kroz vekove. Mnogo godina je potrebno da se formiraju jedinstveni običaji, umetnost i tradicija. Očuvanje ovog nasleđa je ključno za identitet svake zajednice. Učenje o prošlim godinama pomaže nam da razumemo sadašnjost i oblikujemo budućnost.
Zašto je učenje o prošlim godinama važno?
U tekstu piše: 'Učenje o prošlim godinama pomaže nam da razumemo sadašnjost i oblikujemo budućnost.'
U tekstu piše: 'Učenje o prošlim godinama pomaže nam da razumemo sadašnjost i oblikujemo budućnost.'
This sentence means: 'A year after her decision, she realized that mistake.' The order follows the typical Serbian sentence structure: time phrase, verb, subject, followed by the object and a clause.
This sentence means: 'The challenge was the biggest in recent years of her life.' The structure emphasizes the challenge first, then describes its magnitude and timeframe.
This sentence means: 'The entire year was dedicated to the development of this project.' The subject 'Godina' (year) comes first, followed by the verb 'je bila' (was), and then the description of what the year was dedicated to.
Choose the correct translation for 'This year has been very challenging.'
The feminine noun 'godina' requires the feminine demonstrative pronoun 'ova' and feminine past tense form 'bila'.
Which sentence correctly uses 'godina' in the plural genitive case?
After 'mnogo' (many), the noun 'godina' takes the genitive plural form 'godina'.
Which of the following correctly expresses 'Happy New Year!'?
'Godina' is feminine, so 'srećna' (happy) and 'nova' (new) must also be in their feminine forms.
The sentence 'Prošla godina je bila teška.' correctly translates to 'Last year was difficult.'
'Prošla' is the feminine adjective for 'past' or 'last', agreeing with the feminine noun 'godina'. 'Bila' is the feminine past tense of 'to be'.
The phrase 'U narednih pet godina' means 'In the next five years.'
'U narednih' means 'in the next', and 'pet godina' is the correct genitive plural form for 'five years' after a number ending in 5-9 or 0.
In Serbian, 'godina' can only refer to a calendar year, never an academic or fiscal year.
While 'godina' most commonly refers to a calendar year, it can also be used in contexts like 'školska godina' (school year) or 'poslovna godina' (fiscal year).
/ 54 correct
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