драги
dragi
The English word 'dear' is translated into Serbian as драги (dragi).
The term is used to describe someone or something that is loved or lovable. For a loved one, you might use Ljubavi moja, which translates to 'My love'. You can also use the phrase драги моји, which literally means 'dear mine', to express affection similarly to the English 'my dear'. In very casual settings with a male friend, one might use Druže, which is equivalent to 'Buddy' or 'Pal'.
Meaning: loved, lovable (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes its ending to agree with the gender and number of the noun it modifies. Use драга when referring to a feminine person or object, and драго when referring to a neuter noun. The form драги is used for masculine plural when referring to a group of people.
How do you pronounce it?
dragi
Did you know?
- In Serbian, the word драго can function as an adverb meaning 'gladly', which is why the phrase драго ми је literally translates to 'it is dear to me' when saying 'nice to meet you'.
- When writing a formal letter, instead of 'Dear Mr. X', Serbians often use the phrase Poštovani (Respectable), as драги can sometimes feel too intimate or overly sentimental in professional settings.
- The diminutive form of affection often moves away from драги toward words like душо (soul), which is a much more common way to address a 'dear' person in romantic contexts.
Examples in context
- Основно, мој драги Вотсоне.Elementary, my dear Watson.This sentence shows how to use драги in a classic expression.Tatoeba #6090487 by dzoja, translation #3070616 by carlosalberto
- Poštovani gospodine Petroviću,Dear Mr. Petrović
- Poštovane dame i gospodo,Dear ladies and gentlemen
- Draga gospođo Janković,Dear Mrs. Janković
- Dragi gospodine Markoviću,Dear Mr. Marković
- Poštovana gospođice Novaković,Dear Miss Novaković
- Poštovani gospodine doktore Petrović,Dear Dr. Petrović
- Dragi Marko,Dear Mark
- Draga Ana,Dear Ana
- Cure moje,Dear girls
- Ljubavi moja,Dear my love
- To su били драги људи.Those were dear people.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ana and Nikola are greeting each other at a family gathering.
- AnaЗдраво, мој драги Никола!Hello, my dear Nikola!
- NikolaЗдраво, Ана! Драго ми је што те видим.Hello, Ana! I am glad to see you.
- AnaЈеси ли видео наше драге рођаке?Have you seen our dear relatives?
- NikolaЈош их нисам видео.I haven't seen them yet.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
