леп
lep
The English word "pretty" can be translated into Serbian as леп (lep).
The adjective describes someone or something as pleasant or attractive. While the English "pretty" is often specifically used for women and children, the Serbian леп is more versatile. It can mean "handsome" when referring to men, or "beautiful" when describing objects and scenery. Additionally, the neuter form лепо can function as an adverb meaning "nicely" or "beautifully".
Meaning: especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive (adj)
Which one should you use?
Unlike the English "pretty," which is frequently reserved for women and children, the Serbian леп is a broader term that can describe men as handsome or even apply to scenery and objects as beautiful.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the noun it describes. Use лепа for the feminine singular form when referring to women or girls, and use лепо for the neuter singular form, such as when describing a child (dete). As noted, the neuter form лепо also serves as an adverb to mean "nicely" or "beautifully".
How do you pronounce it?
lep
Did you know?
- When someone says лепо in response to a gift or a gesture, they aren't just saying it is 'pretty' but are expressing that the act itself was 'kind'.
- The word лепо is often used as an exclamation of agreement or approval, much like saying 'Great!' or 'Good!' when someone tells you news.
- If you want to say something is 'very pretty', you might use the word прелеп instead of adding an adverb, as the prefix пре- intensifies the meaning.
Examples in context
- Мислим да сам веома лепа.I think I'm very pretty.This sentence shows how to use the form леп to express being very pretty.Tatoeba #8870047 by Lebad, translation #8843854 by CK
- Лепи су.They are pretty.This sentence uses the form леп to describe how pretty they are.Tatoeba #8856015 by Lebad, translation #317553 by CK
- Како је леп!How pretty!This sentence uses the form леп as an exclamation for how pretty something is.Tatoeba #8853475 by Lebad, translation #2573577 by FeuDRenais2
- lepa siYou're pretty
- prelepa i zgodnaGorgeous and attractive
- slatka i lepaCute and pretty
- Izgledate veoma lepoYou look very pretty
- Ti si zaista zgodan/zgodnaYou are really good-looking
- Ovo je lepa/slatka stvarThis is a pretty/cute thing
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Luka and Jelena are meeting at a cafe.
- LukaДа ли је она лепa?Is she pretty?
- JelenaДа, она је веома лепa.Yes, she is very pretty.
- LukaЈелена, изгледаш лепше данас.Jelena, you look prettier today.
- JelenaХвала ти, Лука.Thank you, Luka.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
