Phrase in 30 Seconds
This phrase is the standard way to say 'washing the dishes' in Serbian, used daily in every household.
- Means: To clean plates, cutlery, and pots after a meal.
- Used in: Daily home life, roommate discussions, and restaurant environments.
- Don't confuse: With 'prati veš' which specifically means washing clothes.
شرح بمستواك:
المعنى
Cleaning kitchenware.
خلفية ثقافية
Washing dishes by hand is still very common in Serbia, even in households with dishwashers, as many believe the machine doesn't clean as well as a human. A guest offering to wash dishes is a standard polite gesture. The host's refusal is equally standard. It's a social ritual of mutual respect. In student 'domovi' (dorms), the sink is a communal area where 'pranje sudova' becomes a social event or a source of conflict. In villages, 'sudovi' might refer to large metal cauldrons used for making ajvar or rakija, which require heavy-duty scrubbing.
Aspect Matters
Use 'prati' for the activity and 'oprati' when you want to emphasize that the job is done.
Not for Clothes
Never say 'prati sudove' for laundry. Use 'prati veš'.
Aspect Matters
Use 'prati' for the activity and 'oprati' when you want to emphasize that the job is done.
Not for Clothes
Never say 'prati sudove' for laundry. Use 'prati veš'.
The Guest Rule
If you want to impress a Serbian host, offer to wash the dishes. They will say no, but they will love you for it.
اختبر نفسك
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'prati' in the present tense.
Ja ______ sudove u kuhinji.
The first person singular of 'prati' is 'perem'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Choose the correct way to say 'He washed the dishes'.
'Oprao' is the masculine past tense, and 'sudove' is the correct accusative plural.
Match the Serbian phrase with its English meaning.
Match the following:
Each phrase uses 'prati' but with a different object.
Complete the dialogue between two roommates.
A: Ko će danas da ______ sudove? B: Ja ću, ti si juče kuvao.
After 'da', we use the present tense form 'pere' for the third person (or infinitive in some dialects, but 'da pere' is standard).
🎉 النتيجة: /4
وسائل تعلم بصرية
Things you 'Prati'
Kitchen
- • Sudove
- • Tanjire
- • Čaše
Body
- • Kosu
- • Ruke
- • Noge
Objects
- • Auto
- • Prozore
- • Veš
بنك التمارين
5 تمارينJa ______ sudove u kuhinji.
The first person singular of 'prati' is 'perem'.
Choose the correct way to say 'He washed the dishes'.
'Oprao' is the masculine past tense, and 'sudove' is the correct accusative plural.
طابق كل عنصر على اليسار مع زوجه على اليمين:
Each phrase uses 'prati' but with a different object.
A: Ko će danas da ______ sudove? B: Ja ću, ti si juče kuvao.
After 'da', we use the present tense form 'pere' for the third person (or infinitive in some dialects, but 'da pere' is standard).
🎉 النتيجة: /5
الأسئلة الشائعة
10 أسئلةYes, but 'perem sudove' is more common as it covers everything (plates, cups, pots).
It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
It is 'mašina za sudove' or sometimes 'sudomašina'.
'Sudovi' is plural and very common in speech. 'Posuđe' is a collective noun and sounds slightly more formal.
It is an irregular verb conjugation pattern common in Slavic languages.
Yes, 'prati auto' is perfectly correct.
In Serbian, you don't 'do' them, you 'wash' them: 'Perem sudove'.
Not a specific word, but people might say 'rešavam sudoperu' (I'm solving the sink).
You would say 'oprao sam čašu'.
Yes, increasingly so in modern households, though traditional roles still exist in some areas.
عبارات ذات صلة
Prati veš
similarTo wash laundry
Brisati sudove
builds onTo dry the dishes
Spremati kuhinju
specialized formTo clean/tidy the kitchen
Mašina za sudove
specialized formDishwasher
أين تستخدمها
After a family dinner
Ana: Hvala na večeri, bilo je odlično!
Marko: Nema na čemu. Hoćeš li mi pomoći da operem sudove?
Being a guest
Gost: Mogu li ja da operem sudove?
Domaćin: Ma ne, sedi i uživaj, ja ću to kasnije.
Roommate conflict
Cimer 1: Opet nisi oprao sudove!
Cimer 2: Izvini, opraću ih čim završim sa učenjem.
Job interview for a kitchen hand
Menadžer: Imate li iskustva u kuhinji?
Kandidat: Da, prala sam sudove u jednom malom kafiću prošlog leta.
Buying appliances
Prodavac: Ova mašina pere sudove veoma tiho.
Kupac: To mi je bitno jer perem sudove kasno uveče.
Talking to a child
Otac: Ako opereš sudove, dobićeš sladoled.
Sin: Dogovoreno! Odmah idem u kuhinju.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
PRATI sounds like 'Party' - but the party is over, so now you must wash the dishes!
ربط بصري
Imagine a giant 'SUD' (vessel) shaped like a judge's gavel, being scrubbed clean with soapy bubbles in a sink.
Rhyme
Ko sudove pere, taj se ne dere. (He who washes dishes doesn't yell.)
Story
Petar had a big party. The next morning, his kitchen was full of 'sudovi'. He had to 'prati' them for three hours until his hands were wrinkled like raisins.
In Other Languages
In Russian, it is 'myt' posudu' (мыть посуду), which is very similar. In English, we 'do' the dishes, but in Serbian, you must 'wash' (prati) them.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Next time you are in the kitchen, point to the sink and say out loud: 'Sada perem sudove.' Do this three times while washing a single plate.
Review the conjugation of 'prati' (perem, pereš...) on days 1, 3, and 7.
النطق
The 'a' is short and open. The 'r' is rolled (vibrant).
The 'u' is like 'oo' in 'food'. The 'v' is soft.
طيف الرسمية
Potrebno je da operem posuđe. (Personal chore)
Moram da operem sudove. (Personal chore)
Moram da operem sudove. (Personal chore)
Moram da sredim ovu gomilu sudova. (Personal chore)
Derived from the Proto-Slavic *prati (to beat/wash) and *sǫdъ (vessel). The verb originally referred to the physical striking of laundry against stones.
حقيقة ممتعة
The word 'sud' also means 'court' or 'judgment'. So, in a way, you are 'washing the judgments' every night!
ملاحظات ثقافية
Washing dishes by hand is still very common in Serbia, even in households with dishwashers, as many believe the machine doesn't clean as well as a human.
“Baka uvek pere sudove na ruke jer ne veruje mašini.”
A guest offering to wash dishes is a standard polite gesture. The host's refusal is equally standard. It's a social ritual of mutual respect.
“Pusti me da operem sudove, bila je velika večera.”
In student 'domovi' (dorms), the sink is a communal area where 'pranje sudova' becomes a social event or a source of conflict.
“U domu uvek neko pere sudove u ponoć.”
In villages, 'sudovi' might refer to large metal cauldrons used for making ajvar or rakija, which require heavy-duty scrubbing.
“Moramo dobro da operemo ove velike sudove za ajvar.”
بدايات محادثة
Ko u tvojoj kući najčešće pere sudove?
Da li voliš da pereš sudove ili ti je to dosadno?
Šta misliš o modernim mašinama za sudove?
أخطاء شائعة
Ja radim sudove.
Ja perem sudove.
L1 Interference
Ja pratim sudove.
Ja perem sudove.
L1 Interference
Perem sudovi.
Perem sudove.
L1 Interference
Umivam sudove.
Perem sudove.
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Lavar los platos
Serbian 'sudovi' is more inclusive of pots and pans than 'platos'.
Faire la vaisselle
French uses 'to do' while Serbian uses 'to wash'.
Geschirr spülen
German has a dedicated verb for dishes, whereas Serbian uses the general 'to wash'.
皿を洗う (Sara o arau)
Japanese uses the specific word for plates (sara).
غسل الأطباق (Ghasl al-atbaq)
Arabic often uses the verbal noun 'ghasl' (washing) in this phrase.
洗碗 (Xǐwǎn)
The representative object is a bowl in Chinese, but a general vessel in Serbian.
설거지하다 (Seolgeojihada)
Korean uses a dedicated verb, while Serbian uses a verb-noun combination.
Lavar a louça
Portuguese uses a collective noun more frequently than the plural 'plates'.
Spotted in the Real World
“Opet ja moram da perem sudove!”
A classic argument about chores between the main couple.
“Moje vreme prolazi u pranju sudova.”
A song about the monotony of daily life.
“Ko pere sudove, taj ne ide u grad.”
Discussing who has to stay home and clean.
سهل الخلط
It sounds almost identical to 'prati' but means 'to follow'.
Remember: 'Prati' has a short 'a', 'Pratiti' has an extra syllable.
Learners might use 'prati' for the face, but 'umivati' is more common.
Use 'prati' for objects and hair, 'umivati' for the face.
الأسئلة الشائعة (10)
Yes, but 'perem sudove' is more common as it covers everything (plates, cups, pots).
basic understandingIt is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
usage contextsIt is 'mašina za sudove' or sometimes 'sudomašina'.
vocabulary'Sudovi' is plural and very common in speech. 'Posuđe' is a collective noun and sounds slightly more formal.
comparisonsIt is an irregular verb conjugation pattern common in Slavic languages.
grammar mechanicsYes, 'prati auto' is perfectly correct.
usage contextsIn Serbian, you don't 'do' them, you 'wash' them: 'Perem sudove'.
common mistakesNot a specific word, but people might say 'rešavam sudoperu' (I'm solving the sink).
cultural usageYou would say 'oprao sam čašu'.
practical tipsYes, increasingly so in modern households, though traditional roles still exist in some areas.
cultural usage
