The Bosnian language, a South Slavic language spoken primarily in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is rich with unique expressions and nuances. For English speakers learning Bosnian, understanding how to express time and dates is crucial for daily communication. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the intricacies of expressing time and dates in Bosnian, with a focus on key expressions and grammatical structures.
Basic Time Expressions
One of the first things you need to learn when discussing time in Bosnian is how to tell the time. Here are some basic expressions and phrases:
– **Sat**: Hour
– **Minuta**: Minute
– **Sekunda**: Second
To ask what time it is, you say:
– **Koliko je sati?** – What time is it?
When telling the time, you usually start with the hour, followed by the minutes. For example:
– **Sada je dva sata.** – It is two o’clock.
– **Sada je dva i petnaest.** – It is two fifteen.
For times on the hour, the structure is fairly straightforward:
– **Jedan sat** – One o’clock
– **Dva sata** – Two o’clock
– **Tri sata** – Three o’clock
For minutes past the hour, you simply add the minutes:
– **Dva i petnaest** – Two fifteen
– **Tri i trideset** – Three thirty
For minutes before the hour, you can use the word **do** (to):
– **Pet do dva** – Five to two
– **Deset do tri** – Ten to three
For half-past the hour, you can use:
– **Pola dva** – Half past one (literally “half two”)
Parts of the Day
Understanding how to refer to different parts of the day is also essential:
– **Jutro**: Morning
– **Podne**: Noon
– **Popodne**: Afternoon
– **Veče**: Evening
– **Noć**: Night
– **Ponoć**: Midnight
Here are some example sentences:
– **Ujutro idem na posao.** – I go to work in the morning.
– **Popodne idem u trgovinu.** – I go to the store in the afternoon.
– **Večeras idem na večeru.** – I am going to dinner this evening.
– **Noću spavam.** – I sleep at night.
Days of the Week
The days of the week in Bosnian are:
– **Ponedjeljak**: Monday
– **Utorak**: Tuesday
– **Srijeda**: Wednesday
– **Četvrtak**: Thursday
– **Petak**: Friday
– **Subota**: Saturday
– **Nedjelja**: Sunday
To say “on Monday,” you use the preposition **u**:
– **U ponedjeljak** – On Monday
– **U srijedu** – On Wednesday
Here are some example sentences:
– **U ponedjeljak idem u školu.** – On Monday, I go to school.
– **U subotu idem na izlet.** – On Saturday, I am going on a trip.
Months of the Year
The months of the year in Bosnian are:
– **Januar**: January
– **Februar**: February
– **Mart**: March
– **April**: April
– **Maj**: May
– **Juni**: June
– **Juli**: July
– **Avgust**: August
– **Septembar**: September
– **Oktobar**: October
– **Novembar**: November
– **Decembar**: December
To say “in January,” you use the preposition **u**:
– **U januaru** – In January
– **U martu** – In March
Here are some example sentences:
– **U januaru je hladno.** – It is cold in January.
– **U julu idemo na more.** – In July, we go to the sea.
Seasons of the Year
The seasons in Bosnian are:
– **Proljeće**: Spring
– **Ljeto**: Summer
– **Jesen**: Autumn
– **Zima**: Winter
Here are some example sentences:
– **Proljeće je lijepo.** – Spring is beautiful.
– **Ljeti je vruće.** – It is hot in the summer.
– **U jesen pada kiša.** – It rains in the autumn.
– **Zimi pada snijeg.** – It snows in the winter.
Expressions of Time in Context
When discussing time in a broader context, there are several useful expressions and phrases:
– **Prije**: Before
– **Poslije**: After
– **Tokom**: During
– **Od… do…**: From… to…
Here are some example sentences:
– **Prije ručka idem u park.** – Before lunch, I go to the park.
– **Poslije večere gledamo film.** – After dinner, we watch a movie.
– **Tokom ljeta idemo na more.** – During the summer, we go to the sea.
– **Radim od devet do pet.** – I work from nine to five.
Specific Dates
When expressing specific dates in Bosnian, the format is generally **day-month-year**. For example:
– **1. januar 2023. godine** – January 1, 2023
– **25. decembar 2023. godine** – December 25, 2023
To say “on the first of January,” you use the preposition **na**:
– **Na prvi januar** – On the first of January
– **Na dvadeset peti decembar** – On the twenty-fifth of December
Here are some example sentences:
– **Moj rođendan je na peti mart.** – My birthday is on the fifth of March.
– **Idemo na odmor na prvi juli.** – We are going on vacation on the first of July.
Relative Time Expressions
To describe events in relation to the current time, you can use relative time expressions:
– **Sada**: Now
– **Prije**: Before
– **Poslije**: After
– **Danas**: Today
– **Sutra**: Tomorrow
– **Jučer**: Yesterday
– **Prekosutra**: The day after tomorrow
– **Prekjučer**: The day before yesterday
Here are some example sentences:
– **Sada je vrijeme za ručak.** – It is time for lunch now.
– **Prije sam radio u drugoj firmi.** – Before, I worked at another company.
– **Poslije ćemo ići u grad.** – We will go to the city later.
– **Danas je lijepo vrijeme.** – The weather is nice today.
– **Sutra idem na sastanak.** – I have a meeting tomorrow.
– **Jučer sam bio kod kuće.** – I was at home yesterday.
– **Prekosutra ćemo imati zabavu.** – We will have a party the day after tomorrow.
– **Prekjučer sam bio na putovanju.** – I was on a trip the day before yesterday.
Frequency Expressions
When talking about how often something happens, you can use frequency expressions:
– **Uvijek**: Always
– **Često**: Often
– **Ponekad**: Sometimes
– **Rijetko**: Rarely
– **Nikada**: Never
Here are some example sentences:
– **Uvijek idem na posao u osam sati.** – I always go to work at eight o’clock.
– **Često idem u teretanu.** – I often go to the gym.
– **Ponekad idem u kino.** – I sometimes go to the cinema.
– **Rijetko jedem brzu hranu.** – I rarely eat fast food.
– **Nikada ne pušim.** – I never smoke.
Practice Makes Perfect
Understanding and using time and date expressions in Bosnian requires practice. Here are some activities to help you improve:
1. **Daily Routine Descriptions**: Write out your daily routine in Bosnian, including times and activities. For example:
– **Ujutro se budim u sedam sati. Doručkujem u sedam i trideset. Idem na posao u osam.**
2. **Date Matching**: Match dates to events. For example, write down significant dates in your life and match them with the correct Bosnian expression.
3. **Conversation Practice**: Partner with a language buddy and practice asking and answering questions about your schedules, important dates, and daily activities.
4. **Listening Exercises**: Listen to Bosnian speakers discussing their routines and schedules. Pay attention to how they express time and dates.
5. **Flashcards**: Create flashcards with different time and date expressions to test your knowledge and improve your recall.
By consistently practicing these expressions and integrating them into your daily conversations, you’ll become more comfortable and fluent in discussing time and dates in Bosnian.
Conclusion
Mastering the expressions of time and dates in Bosnian is a fundamental aspect of becoming proficient in the language. By familiarizing yourself with the basic structures, key phrases, and contextual usage, you’ll be well-equipped to handle everyday conversations and interactions. Remember, language learning is a journey, and the more you practice, the more confident you’ll become. Sretno u učenju! (Good luck in learning!)
