Signification
Using a phone to talk to someone.
Contexte culturel
Serbians often use the phrase 'Čujemo se' (We'll hear each other) as a standard goodbye, implying a future phone call. In Serbian business culture, 'telefonirati' is often preferred over email for urgent matters, as personal voice contact builds more trust. Younger Serbs might find 'telefonirati' a bit formal and prefer 'cimni me' (ping me) which refers to letting the phone ring once so the other person has the number. For the older generation, 'telefonirati' still carries the weight of a significant event, often involving sitting down and dedicating full attention to the call.
Master the Dative
Always keep a list of Dative pronouns (mi, ti, mu, joj, nam, vam, im) to use after this verb.
Don't over-use it
In very casual settings, 'zvati' is 5x more common. Use 'telefonirati' to sound more precise or professional.
Signification
Using a phone to talk to someone.
Master the Dative
Always keep a list of Dative pronouns (mi, ti, mu, joj, nam, vam, im) to use after this verb.
Don't over-use it
In very casual settings, 'zvati' is 5x more common. Use 'telefonirati' to sound more precise or professional.
The 'Halo' rule
When you 'telefoniraš' someone, they will answer with 'Halo?'. You should respond with 'Ovde [Your Name]'.
Sports usage
If you play sports in Serbia, use this to describe a predictable opponent.
Teste-toi
Fill in the correct form of the person being called (Dative case).
Ja telefoniram _______ (mama).
The verb 'telefonirati' always requires the Dative case. 'Mami' is the dative form of 'mama'.
Which sentence is correct?
Choose the most natural sentence:
You call 'to someone' (Dative), so 'Marku' is correct.
Complete the dialogue with the correct verb form.
A: Gde je tata? B: On _______ (telefonirati) u kancelariji.
The subject is 'tata' (he), so the verb must be in the 3rd person singular.
Match the verb to the situation.
You are in a library and your phone rings. You whisper to your friend:
'Telefonirati' is the appropriate verb for making a call.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Grammar: Telefonirati vs Zvati
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesJa telefoniram _______ (mama).
The verb 'telefonirati' always requires the Dative case. 'Mami' is the dative form of 'mama'.
Choose the most natural sentence:
You call 'to someone' (Dative), so 'Marku' is correct.
A: Gde je tata? B: On _______ (telefonirati) u kancelariji.
The subject is 'tata' (he), so the verb must be in the 3rd person singular.
You are in a library and your phone rings. You whisper to your friend:
'Telefonirati' is the appropriate verb for making a call.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsYes, it applies to landlines, mobile phones, and even VoIP calls like WhatsApp.
Yes, using 'sa' (with) + Instrumental is also correct and very common, implying a mutual conversation.
'Telefonirati' is the process (imperfective), 'nazvati' is the completed act (perfective).
It's generally accepted, but like everywhere, loud conversations in quiet places like buses or libraries are frowned upon.
You can say 'Na telefonu sam' or 'Upravo telefoniram'.
No, for the literal telegraph, we use 'telegrafisati'. 'Telefonirati' is only figurative for 'telegraphing' moves.
No, for texting use 'pisati poruku' or 'slati poruku'.
It's a bit long (5 syllables), so in fast speech, people prefer 'zvati'.
Usually, you don't mention the phone as an object, but if you do, it's 'preko telefona' (via phone).
Yes, 'cimnuti' is the most common slang related to calling.
Expressions liées
zvati
synonymto call
nazvati
specialized formto make a call (perfective)
javiti se
builds onto answer or check in
prekinuti vezu
contrastto hang up
biti na vezi
similarto be on the line
