§ Similar words for 'play'
The Serbian verb 'igrati' is your go-to for both 'to play' and 'to dance'. This is a common point of confusion for English speakers, as English uses different verbs for these actions. In Serbian, the context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended.
§ Igrati for sports and games
When talking about sports or games, 'igrati' is almost always the correct verb. It covers everything from football to board games.
- DEFINITION
- To play (a sport or game)
Deca vole da igraju
Kids love to play football.
Hoćemo li igrati
Shall we play cards tonight?
§ Igrati for dancing
When you mean 'to dance', 'igrati' is also the correct word. There isn't a separate, common verb specifically for dancing in Serbian like there is in English.
- DEFINITION
- To dance
Volim da igram
I like to dance to good music.
Oni su igrali
They danced all night.
§ Alternatives and nuances
While 'igrati' is versatile, there are a few situations where other verbs might be used, though less commonly for general 'play' or 'dance'.
- For playing with toys (children): Sometimes, 'igrati se' (reflexive form) is used when children are playing with toys or just generally playing around, but 'igrati' alone is still perfectly acceptable and often used.
Deca se igraju u parku.
The children are playing in the park.
Oni igraju žmurke.
They are playing hide-and-seek. (Here, 'igrati' without 'se' is fine).
- For playing a musical instrument: This is an important distinction. For musical instruments, you do NOT use 'igrati'. You use 'svirati'.
- ALTERNATIVE
- Svirati - To play (a musical instrument)
Moj brat svira
My brother plays the guitar.
§ Summary of usage
To recap, 'igrati' is a highly versatile verb in Serbian. Master its two main uses, and you'll be able to talk about most forms of 'playing' and 'dancing' without issue.
- Use 'igrati' for playing sports (e.g., 'igrati fudbal' - to play football).
- Use 'igrati' for playing games (e.g., 'igrati karte' - to play cards).
- Use 'igrati' for dancing (e.g., 'igrati kolo' - to dance a kolo).
- Use 'igrati se' for children generally playing (optional, 'igrati' also works).
- Do NOT use 'igrati' for playing a musical instrument; use 'svirati'.
Context is key. Once you get used to it, you'll find it's quite straightforward.
レベル別の例文
Deca vole da se igraju napolju kad je lepo vreme.
Children love to play outside when the weather is nice.
Here 'igrati se' is used reflexively, meaning 'to play around/to amuse oneself'.
Prijatelji su odlučili da igraju karte celo veče.
Friends decided to play cards all evening.
Standard use of 'igrati' with a game.
Ona profesionalno igra balet već deset godina.
She has been dancing ballet professionally for ten years.
'Igrati' used in the context of performing a dance style.
Molim te, nemoj da se igraš sa hranom.
Please, don't play with your food.
Another reflexive use, implying 'to mess around with'.
Ako želiš da budeš zdrav, moraš redovno da igraš sport.
If you want to be healthy, you need to play sports regularly.
'Igrati sport' is a common phrase for 'to play sports'.
Na svadbi su svi igrali do jutra.
At the wedding, everyone danced until morning.
Direct use of 'igrati' meaning 'to dance'.
Glavni glumac je tako dobro igrao svoju ulogu da je dobio nagradu.
The main actor played his role so well that he won an award.
'Igrati ulogu' means 'to play a role' (acting).
Pas se srećno igrao sa loptom u parku.
The dog happily played with the ball in the park.
Reflexive 'igrati se' with an animal.
自分をテスト 6 問
Which of these means 'to play' or 'to dance'?
Igrati is the verb for both 'to play' and 'to dance'.
How do you say 'I play' in Serbian?
The 'ja' pronoun and the 'igram' conjugation of 'igrati' mean 'I play'.
What is the correct way to say 'They dance'?
For 'they' (oni) and 'to dance' (igrati), the correct form is 'igraju'.
The word 'igrati' can mean 'to play'.
Yes, 'igrati' can mean 'to play' as in playing a game.
The word 'igrati' can mean 'to eat'.
'Igrati' means 'to play' or 'to dance', not 'to eat'. The verb for 'to eat' is 'jesti'.
If someone says 'Mi igramo', they mean 'We dance'.
'Mi' means 'we', and 'igramo' is the correct conjugation of 'igrati' for 'we', so 'Mi igramo' can indeed mean 'We dance'.
/ 6 correct
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