зец
Cyrillic, masculine
The English word rabbit translates to Serbian as зец, кунић, zec or kunić.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Serbian | Note |
|---|---|
| зец | Cyrillic, masculine |
| кунић | Cyrillic, masculine |
| zec | Latin, masculine |
| kunić | Latin, masculine |
The term refers to the mammal known as a rabbit.
Which one should you use?
The word zec (or зец in Cyrillic) is the most common and standard term for a rabbit. The word kunić (or кунић) is another masculine form used to describe the animal.
Did you know?
- While both mean 'rabbit', зец usually refers to a wild hare and кунић refers to a domesticated rabbit. Using the wrong one can change the context from wildlife to livestock.
- The Latin root of кунић, cunīculus, originally meant 'burrow' or 'underground passage' rather than the animal itself.
- In Serbian folklore, the rabbit is often portrayed as a clever but cautious character, much like the trickster archetypes found in other Balkan stories.
Examples in context
- Зец има дуге уши и кратак реп.A rabbit has long ears and a short tail.This sentence is useful for describing the physical characteristics of a зец.Tatoeba #8894380 by Lebad, translation #2117 by Zifre
- U parku ima puno zečeva.There are many rabbits in the park.
- Kunići su vrsta zečeva.Rabbits are a type of hares.
- Moja mlađa sestra ima zeku za ljubimca.My younger sister has a pet rabbit.
- Зец је врло брз.The rabbit is very fast.
- Мали зец је у кући.The little rabbit is in the house.
Example conversation
Nikola and Ana are at a pet store.
- NikolaПогледај, Ана, овај зец је пресладак!Look, Ana, this rabbit is adorable!
- AnaДа, али он је превише мали.Yes, but he is too small.
- NikolaЖелиш ли да купимо једног зеца?Do you want to buy a rabbit?
- AnaМожда следећег месеца, Никола.Maybe next month, Nikola.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rabbit” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kunić, зец, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
