Ћао, како си?
Ćao, kako si?
The English phrase "hi, how are you?" is translated into Serbian as Ћао, како си? (Ćao, kako si?)
Ћао, како си? is a casual greeting used to say hello and ask about someone's well-being. Other informal ways to greet someone or ask how they are include Zdravo, kako si? or asking Šta ima novo? to mean "What's new?"
What does it mean word for word?
The part како си? means "how are you?" It is composed of како, meaning "how" and си, which is the second person singular form of "to be" (are).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The variation Zdravo, kako si druže? (Hello, how are you, buddy?) is commonly used in Serbia.
How do you pronounce it?
Ćao, kako si?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you како си?, a common response is Добро сам, хвала, which means "I am well, thanks."
Did you know?
- While Ћао can mean 'hello', it is also frequently used by Serbs to say 'goodbye'. This makes it a versatile tool for both starting and ending a conversation.
- While Zdravo means 'hello', its root is the word здравље, meaning 'health'.
- The greeting Ћао is a linguistic traveler that arrived in Serbia from Italian. It demonstrates how Mediterranean social customs and vocabulary have influenced Balkan-style informal speech.
Examples in context
- Ћао, како си?Hi, how are you?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries како, ћао, CC BY-SA 4.0.
