§ What Does Jesti Mean?
The Croatian word jesti (pronounced yeh-stee) is a verb that means 'to eat'. It's one of the most fundamental verbs you'll learn in Croatian, as eating is a daily activity for everyone!
- DEFINITION
- To eat.
You'll use jesti whenever you talk about consuming food. Just like in English, it can be used for general statements about eating, specific meals, or even in a more figurative sense, though we'll stick to the practical uses for now.
§ When Do People Use Jesti?
You'll use jesti all the time! Here are some common situations:
- Talking about meals: "I eat breakfast," "We eat dinner."
- Discussing food preferences: "I like to eat fruit," "They don't eat meat."
- Asking about eating: "Are you eating?" "What are you eating?"
- Making plans related to food: "Let's eat," "We will eat at 7 PM."
Let's look at some basic examples to get a feel for it:
Ja želim jesti pizzu. (I want to eat pizza.)
Oni vole jesti ribu. (They like to eat fish.)
Notice how jesti is used with other verbs like 'želim' (I want) and 'vole' (they like). This is a common construction in Croatian.
§ Common Phrases with Jesti
Here are a few common phrases where you'll encounter jesti:
- Jesti doručak: To eat breakfast
- Jesti ručak: To eat lunch
- Jesti večeru: To eat dinner
- Jesti nešto: To eat something
- Jesti puno: To eat a lot
Let's put them into sentences:
Moram jesti doručak. (I have to eat breakfast.)
Idemo jesti ručak u restoranu. (Let's go eat lunch at the restaurant.)
Želim jesti nešto slatko. (I want to eat something sweet.)
Mastering jesti is crucial for basic communication in Croatian. It's a verb you'll encounter and use daily. Pay attention to how it's used in different contexts, and you'll quickly become comfortable with it.
§ Everywhere, Really
The verb jesti (to eat) is fundamental. You'll hear it constantly, everywhere people talk about food – which is, well, everywhere! Let's break down some common situations.
§ At Home and with Friends
Naturally, a lot of conversations about eating happen at home or when socializing. You'll hear it used for meals, snacks, or just generally talking about food.
Hoćemo li jesti pizzu večeras?
Do you want to eat pizza tonight?
Ne volim jesti ujutro.
I don't like to eat in the morning.
§ In Restaurants and Cafes
When you're out and about, especially dining, jesti is essential. Waiters might ask what you want to eat, or you might discuss what your friends are eating.
Što ćete jesti?
What will you eat? (Formal/plural)
Idemo negdje jesti.
Let's go somewhere to eat.
- DEFINITION
- It's common to hear jesti used with adverbs of place, like 'negdje' (somewhere).
§ At Work or School
Even in more formal settings, discussing meals is a natural part of the day. You might hear questions about lunch breaks or what people brought for food.
Jeste li već jeli ručak?
Have you already eaten lunch? (Formal/plural)
Moram nešto brzo jesti prije sastanka.
I need to eat something quickly before the meeting.
§ In the News and Media
While less frequent than daily conversation, jesti appears in news segments, articles, and documentaries related to food, health, or cultural practices involving meals.
Važno je jesti zdravo.
It is important to eat healthily.
Studija pokazuje kako ljudi jedu manje šećera.
A study shows how people eat less sugar.
§ Common Phrases with Jesti
Beyond simple sentences, jesti is part of several common Croatian phrases. Knowing these will make your conversations much more natural.
- Jesti se
- To be annoyed or to fret (literally, 'to eat oneself'). This is a reflexive verb with a figurative meaning.
Nemoj se jesti zbog toga.
Don't fret about that. / Don't get annoyed about that.
- Što ima za jesti?
- What is there to eat? A very common question when hungry!
Mama, što ima za jesti?
Mom, what is there to eat?
اصطلاحات و عبارات
"Jesti kao ptica."
To eat like a bird (eat very little).
Ona jede kao ptica, uvijek je sita.
neutral"Jesti kao vuk."
To eat like a wolf (eat a lot, hungrily).
Bio je jako gladan pa je jeo kao vuk.
neutral"Jesti nekome iz ruke."
To eat from someone's hand (to be completely obedient to someone).
Nakon vjenčanja, počeo joj je jesti iz ruke.
neutral"Jesti se."
To worry oneself, to fret (literally: to eat oneself).
Nemoj se jesti zbog sitnica.
neutral"Jesti govna."
To take nonsense/crap from someone (literally: to eat shit).
Neću više jesti tvoja govna!
informal"Jesti nečiji kruh."
To live off someone, to be dependent on someone (literally: to eat someone's bread).
Još uvijek jede kruh svojih roditelja.
neutral"Jesti na tuđi račun."
To eat at someone else's expense, to freeload.
Uvijek voli jesti na tuđi račun.
neutral"Jesti s apetitom."
To eat with appetite, to enjoy one's meal.
Djeca su jela s apetitom nakon duge igre.
neutral"Jesti očima."
To devour with one's eyes, to stare longingly at food.
Gladan sam, sve bih jeo očima.
neutral"Jesti se sa sobom."
To be angry with oneself, to be annoyed with oneself.
Jela se sa sobom jer je zaboravila ključeve.
neutralخودت رو بسنج 18 سوال
Write a short sentence about what you like to eat for breakfast. Use 'jesti'. (Example: Volim jesti kruh za doručak. - I like to eat bread for breakfast.)
خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.
پاسخ نمونه
Volim jesti jaja za doručak. (I like to eat eggs for breakfast.)
Translate this sentence into Croatian: 'We want to eat dinner.' (Hint: 'We want' is 'Želimo', 'dinner' is 'večeru'.)
خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.
پاسخ نمونه
Želimo jesti večeru.
Complete the sentence: 'Oni vole ___ ručak.' (They like to eat lunch.) Use the correct form of 'jesti'. (Hint: 'lunch' is 'ručak'.)
خوب نوشتید! تلاش خوبی بود! پاسخ نمونه را ببینید.
پاسخ نمونه
Oni vole jesti ručak.
What does Ana like to eat?
این متن را بخوانید:
Ana voli jesti voće. Marko voli jesti meso. Oni često jedu zajedno. Što Ana voli jesti?
What does Ana like to eat?
The passage states, 'Ana voli jesti voće.' which means 'Ana likes to eat fruit.'
The passage states, 'Ana voli jesti voće.' which means 'Ana likes to eat fruit.'
Who doesn't like to eat pizza?
این متن را بخوانید:
Ja volim jesti pizzu. Moja sestra ne voli jesti pizzu. Ona voli jesti salatu. Tko ne voli jesti pizzu?
Who doesn't like to eat pizza?
The passage says, 'Moja sestra ne voli jesti pizzu.' which means 'My sister doesn't like to eat pizza.'
The passage says, 'Moja sestra ne voli jesti pizzu.' which means 'My sister doesn't like to eat pizza.'
What does the small dog like to eat?
این متن را بخوانید:
Mali pas voli jesti kosti. Veliki pas voli jesti sve. Oba psa vole jesti puno. Što mali pas voli jesti?
What does the small dog like to eat?
The passage states, 'Mali pas voli jesti kosti.' which translates to 'The small dog likes to eat bones.'
The passage states, 'Mali pas voli jesti kosti.' which translates to 'The small dog likes to eat bones.'
Ja obično doručkujem u sedam ujutro. Što ti voliš ___ za doručak?
The sentence asks what someone likes to 'do' for breakfast, and 'jesti' (to eat) is the appropriate verb.
Nakon dugog putovanja, sve što želim je dobro ___ večeru.
After a long trip, one would want to 'eat' a good dinner. 'Jesti' fits the context.
Za ručak ćemo ___ ribu i krumpir. Hoćeš li nam se pridružiti?
The sentence implies the action of consuming food for lunch. 'Jesti' (to eat) is the correct verb.
Djeca su bila gladna pa su brzo počela ___ sve što je bilo na stolu.
Being hungry, children would quickly 'eat' everything on the table. 'Jesti' is appropriate here.
Preporučuje se ___ puno voća i povrća za zdrav život.
To live a healthy life, it is recommended to 'eat' a lot of fruits and vegetables. 'Jesti' is the correct verb.
Ne smijemo ___ prebrzo, jer to nije dobro za probavu.
One should not 'eat' too fast, as it's not good for digestion. 'Jesti' fits the context of consuming food.
This sentence means 'I want to eat fish.' In Croatian, the typical word order is Subject-Verb-Object, though it can be flexible. Here, 'Ja' (I) is the subject, 'želim' (want) is the verb, 'jesti' (to eat) is an infinitive complement, and 'ribu' (fish) is the object.
This sentence translates to 'They like to eat pizza for dinner.' 'Oni' (They) is the subject, 'vole' (like) is the verb, 'jesti' (to eat) is the infinitive, 'pizzu' (pizza) is the direct object, and 'za večeru' (for dinner) is a prepositional phrase indicating time.
This sentence means 'We must eat more fruit and vegetables.' 'Mi' (We) is the subject, 'moramo' (must) is the modal verb, 'jesti' (to eat) is the infinitive, and 'više voća i povrća' (more fruit and vegetables) is the object phrase.
/ 18 درست
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