§ What Does 'govoriti' Mean?
The Serbian verb 'govoriti' (pronounced go-VOR-ee-tee) simply means 'to speak' or 'to talk'. It's a fundamental verb you'll use constantly in Serbian, just like in English. If you want to say anything about speaking, this is your go-to word. It's a basic, essential vocabulary item for anyone learning Serbian.
- DEFINITION
- To speak; to talk
§ When Do People Use 'govoriti'?
People use 'govoriti' in pretty much any situation where you would use 'to speak' or 'to talk' in English. It's very versatile. You can use it to talk about speaking a language, speaking to someone, or just speaking in general. There aren't many tricky nuances here. If you're expressing the act of verbal communication, 'govoriti' is the word.
Here are some common situations where you'll hear and use 'govoriti':
- Talking about languages: This is one of the most common uses. If you want to say you speak Serbian, English, or any other language, 'govoriti' is the verb.
- Conversing with someone: When you're talking to someone, you'll use 'govoriti'.
- General speech: If you're talking about someone speaking, or the act of speaking itself, 'govoriti' fits.
Let's look at some examples to make this concrete:
Ja govorim srpski. (I speak Serbian.)
This is a classic. You'll use this phrase a lot when you're introducing yourself or talking about your language skills.
Oni govore engleski.
Here, 'oni govore engleski' means 'They speak English'. Notice how the ending of 'govoriti' changes depending on who is speaking. This is called conjugation, and we'll cover it in more detail later. For now, just focus on the meaning.
Želim da govorim sa tobom. (I want to speak with you.)
This example shows 'govoriti' used when you want to talk to someone. The 'da' before 'govorim' is important here, it often functions like 'to' in 'to speak' when it follows another verb like 'želim' (I want).
Molim vas, govorite sporije. (Please, speak slower.)
A very practical phrase for beginners! Don't be afraid to use it. This shows 'govoriti' in an imperative (command) form, asking someone to speak.
In summary, 'govoriti' is your basic verb for any act of speaking or talking. Master this word, and you'll be able to communicate many simple ideas right away.
Ejemplos por nivel
Ja govorim srpski.
I speak Serbian.
First person singular of 'govoriti'.
Ti govoriš engleski?
Do you speak English?
Second person singular of 'govoriti'.
On ne govori španski.
He doesn't speak Spanish.
Third person singular of 'govoriti', with negation.
Mi govorimo polako.
We speak slowly.
First person plural of 'govoriti'.
Vi govorite brzo.
You (plural/formal) speak fast.
Second person plural/formal of 'govoriti'.
Oni govore tiho.
They speak quietly.
Third person plural of 'govoriti'.
Želim da govorim bolje.
I want to speak better.
Infinitive form of 'govoriti' after 'želim da' (I want to).
Molim vas, govorite glasnije.
Please, speak louder.
Imperative form of 'govoriti' (second person plural/formal).
Iako sam umoran, moram govoriti na konferenciji sutra ujutru.
Although I am tired, I have to speak at the conference tomorrow morning.
Future tense with 'morati' (to have to)
Nadam se da ću moći govoriti tečno srpski za nekoliko meseci.
I hope that I will be able to speak Serbian fluently in a few months.
Future tense with 'moći' (to be able to)
On ne želi govoriti o svojim problemima ni sa kim.
He doesn't want to speak about his problems with anyone.
Negation with 'ne želeti' (to not want)
Da li ste govorili sa direktorom o novom projektu?
Have you spoken with the director about the new project?
Past tense, perfective aspect
Važno je govoriti jasno i glasno kada se obraćate publici.
It is important to speak clearly and loudly when addressing an audience.
Infinitive as subject
Pokušavam da ga nateram da govori istinu, ali je tvrdoglav.
I am trying to make him speak the truth, but he is stubborn.
Present tense with 'pokušavati' (to try)
Ona može govoriti pet jezika, što je impresivno.
She can speak five languages, which is impressive.
Present tense of 'moći' (can)
Često govorimo o politici, ali retko se slažemo.
We often speak about politics, but we rarely agree.
Present tense, imperfective aspect
Modismos y expresiones
"govoriti bez dlake na jeziku"
to speak frankly/candidly (literally: to speak without a hair on the tongue)
On uvek govori bez dlake na jeziku. (He always speaks frankly.)
neutral"govoriti u vetar"
to speak in vain (literally: to speak into the wind)
Govorila sam mu, ali kao da sam govorila u vetar. (I spoke to him, but it was like speaking in vain.)
neutral"govoriti kao navijen"
to speak non-stop/a lot (literally: to speak like wound up)
Nakon kafe, govorio je kao navijen. (After coffee, he spoke non-stop.)
informal"govoriti kao iz topa"
to answer/speak quickly and decisively (literally: to speak like from a cannon)
Odgovorila je kao iz topa. (She answered quickly.)
neutral"govoriti zidu"
to speak to a brick wall (literally: to speak to a wall)
Osećao sam se kao da govorim zidu. (I felt like I was speaking to a brick wall.)
neutral"govoriti tiho"
to speak softly/quietly
Molim te, govori tiho, beba spava. (Please speak softly, the baby is sleeping.)
neutral"govoriti glasno"
to speak loudly
Zašto govorite tako glasno? (Why are you speaking so loudly?)
neutral"govoriti u snu"
to talk in one's sleep
Ponekad govori u snu. (He sometimes talks in his sleep.)
neutral"govoriti srcem"
to speak from the heart
Znam da govori srcem. (I know he speaks from the heart.)
neutral"govoriti jezikom ulice"
to speak in common/colloquial language (literally: to speak with the language of the street)
On razume, jer govori jezikom ulice. (He understands, because he speaks the language of the street.)
informalCómo usarlo
govoriti is an imperfective verb, which means it describes an ongoing or repeated action. You'll use it for general statements about speaking or when the act of speaking is continuous. For example:
- Ja govorim srpski. (I speak Serbian.)
- Oni govore brzo. (They speak fast.)
A common mistake is confusing govoriti with pričati. While both can mean 'to speak' or 'to talk,' they have subtle differences.
govoriti often implies more formal or structured speech, or the ability to speak a language.
pričati generally means 'to talk' or 'to chat,' implying a more informal conversation or storytelling. For example:
- Ja govorim srpski. (I speak Serbian.)
- Mi pričamo o fudbalu. (We are talking about football.)
Ponte a prueba 6 preguntas
Listen to the sentence and understand who is speaking Serbian.
Listen for the language being spoken by 'ona' (she).
Listen to how 'mi' (we) are speaking.
Read this aloud:
Govorim.
Focus: go-vo-rim
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Govorite.
Focus: go-vo-ri-te
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Govorimo.
Focus: go-vo-ri-mo
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
/ 6 correct
Perfect score!
