Signification
Informing someone of a delay.
Contexte culturel
Punctuality is valued in business but flexible in social life. The 'Academic 15' is a real thing. Traffic is the universal excuse. Mentioning 'gužva na mostu' (crowd on the bridge) makes any delay understandable. People in the north are stereotypically perceived as more 'slow and steady' (natane-nane). Lateness here is often met with more patience. Social gatherings are very informal. 'Five minutes' might actually mean 'I'm just leaving the house'.
The '5-Minute' Rule
In Serbia, saying you are 5 minutes late is often a polite way of saying you are almost there, even if it's actually 7 or 8 minutes.
Don't use 'za'
Never say 'Kasnim za pet minuta'. It's a common English-speaker mistake.
Signification
Informing someone of a delay.
The '5-Minute' Rule
In Serbia, saying you are 5 minutes late is often a polite way of saying you are almost there, even if it's actually 7 or 8 minutes.
Don't use 'za'
Never say 'Kasnim za pet minuta'. It's a common English-speaker mistake.
The Academic 15
Remember that for many social events, a 5-minute delay doesn't even count as being late!
Teste-toi
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'kasniti'.
Ja ______ pet minuta na sastanak.
The subject is 'Ja' (I), so the verb ending must be '-im'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
How do you say 'I am 5 minutes late'?
Serbian uses the verb 'kasniti' without a preposition for duration.
Complete the dialogue.
Marko: 'Gde si?' Ti: 'Izvini, ______ pet minuta.'
In the context of being asked 'Where are you?', 'kasnim' is the logical answer.
Match the Serbian phrase with its English meaning.
Match the following:
These are all variations of time-related apologies.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesJa ______ pet minuta na sastanak.
The subject is 'Ja' (I), so the verb ending must be '-im'.
How do you say 'I am 5 minutes late'?
Serbian uses the verb 'kasniti' without a preposition for duration.
Marko: 'Gde si?' Ti: 'Izvini, ______ pet minuta.'
In the context of being asked 'Where are you?', 'kasnim' is the logical answer.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are all variations of time-related apologies.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsIt is neutral. You can use it with friends or at work. For extra formality, add 'Izvinite' (Sorry).
Yes! 'Autobus kasni pet minuta' is perfectly correct.
Just change the number: 'Kasnim deset minuta'.
In Serbian, 'late' is a verb (kasniti), not an adjective you 'are'.
No, 'Kasnim' already implies 'I'. Adding 'Ja' makes it more emphatic.
Generally no, as long as you send a text or apologize when you arrive.
Most people just write 'Kasnim 5 min'.
'Kasnim' is 'I am currently late', 'Zakasniću' is 'I will be late'.
No, after the number 5, it must be 'minuta' (genitive plural).
Say: 'Kasnim pet minuta jer voz kasni'.
Expressions liées
Malo kasnim
similarI'm a little late
Stižem odmah
builds onI'm arriving right now
Zakasniti
specialized formTo have arrived late
Na vreme
contrastOn time
Gubiti vreme
relatedTo waste time
