Basic Macedonian Phrases: 25 Every Grandchild Should Know
The 25 Macedonian phrases every grandchild should know cover hello, family names, “I love you”, thank you, table talk and goodbye. These are not tourist phrases. They are the words Baba and Dedo use every day, and saying them back will make their week. Each one below has the Cyrillic, a Latin spelling, a simple way to say it and what it means.
How to use this list
Capital letters in the “Say it” column show the stressed syllable. Say that part a little louder. Macedonian letters always make the same sound, so once you know the 31 letters of the alphabet, you can read every word here.
One more tip: Macedonian has a casual “you” and a polite “you”. With Baba and Dedo, most families use the casual form, but some older relatives like the polite form. Listen to what your parents do.
Greetings: saying hello
| # | Macedonian | Latin | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Здраво | Zdravo | ZDRA-vo | Hello, hi |
| 2 | Добро утро | Dobro utro | DO-bro OO-tro | Good morning |
| 3 | Како си? | Kako si? | KA-ko see | How are you? |
| 4 | Добро сум | Dobro sum | DO-bro soom | I’m good |
Здраво comes from the word for health, so you are really wishing someone good health. For a more respectful hello to an older relative, say Како сте? (KA-ko ste), the polite “How are you?”.
Family words: who is who
Macedonian has more family words than English. An uncle is not just an uncle. The word tells you which side of the family he is on.
| # | Macedonian | Latin | Say it | Who it is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | баба | baba | BA-ba | Grandmother |
| 6 | дедо | dedo | DE-do | Grandfather |
| 7 | мајка | majka | MY-ka | Mother (mum is мама) |
| 8 | татко | tatko | TAT-ko | Father (dad is тато) |
| 9 | тетка | tetka | TET-ka | Aunt: your mum’s or dad’s sister |
| 10 | вујко | vujko | VOOY-ko | Uncle: your mum’s brother |
| 11 | чичко | chichko | CHEECH-ko | Uncle: your dad’s brother |
Uncles and their wives
- Your dad’s brother is чичко. Many families say стрико (STREE-ko) instead. Both are correct.
- His wife is стрина (STREE-na).
- Your mum’s brother is вујко. His wife is вујна (VOOY-na).
- Тетка works for an aunt on either side.
Kids often call their grandparents баба and дедо with their first name added, like “Baba Vera”. Your family may also use a pet name you will not find in any dictionary. Keep it. It is part of your family’s story.
Love and thanks
| # | Macedonian | Latin | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Те сакам | Te sakam | te SA-kam | I love you |
| 13 | Благодарам | Blagodaram | bla-GO-da-ram | Thank you |
| 14 | Фала | Fala | FA-la | Thanks (casual) |
Те сакам is the one to practise first. Grandparents never tire of hearing it in their own language. Say it at the door when you leave, and watch Baba’s face.
Фала is the everyday, relaxed “thanks”. Благодарам is a little more formal and always polite.
At the table
A lot of Macedonian family life happens around the table, from Sunday lunch to a Badnik dinner. These four phrases will get you through any meal.
| # | Macedonian | Latin | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Пријатно | Prijatno | PREE-yat-no | Enjoy your meal |
| 16 | Убаво е | Ubavo e | OO-ba-vo e | It’s nice, it’s tasty |
| 17 | Сакам уште | Sakam ushte | SA-kam OOSH-te | I want more |
| 18 | На здравје | Na zdravje | na ZDRAV-ye | Cheers (to your health) |
Пријатно is also a friendly way to say goodbye, a bit like “have a nice day”. If you want to win over Baba, say Убаво е after the first bite of her pita, then Сакам уште. Need ideas for what she might be cooking? See our Macedonian recipes.
Polite words
| # | Macedonian | Latin | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Ве молам | Ve molam | ve MO-lam | Please (polite) |
| 20 | Извинете | Izvinete | iz-VEE-ne-te | Excuse me, sorry (polite) |
Both of these are the polite forms, good for older relatives, priests and shopkeepers. With friends or siblings, use the casual versions: Те молам (please) and Извини (sorry).
Saying goodbye
| # | Macedonian | Latin | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Чао | Chao | CHA-o | Bye |
| 22 | Одиме | Odime | O-dee-me | We’re going, let’s go |
| 23 | Се гледаме | Se gledame | se GLE-da-me | See you |
Goodbyes at Baba’s house can take half an hour. Одиме is what you say at the start of that long goodbye. Expect to hear “Wait, take some food!” before you reach the car.
What Baba and Dedo say to you
Grandparents have their own words for grandchildren. You may hear these so often you never stopped to ask what they mean.
| # | Macedonian | Latin | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Душо | Dusho | DOO-sho | My darling (from душа, “soul”) |
| 25 | Злато | Zlato | ZLA-to | Sweetheart (literally “gold”) |
You may also hear сонце (SON-tse), meaning “sunshine”, or срце (SR-tse), meaning “heart”. Grandchildren are внуче (VNOO-che). A granddaughter is внука and a grandson is внук.
Why your Baba might say it differently
Macedonian is spoken differently from region to region. A family from Bitola may not sound like a family from Kumanovo, Ohrid or Strumica. Words, vowels and stress can all change.
- One family says чичко, another says стрико.
- Some grandparents stress words on a different syllable from the standard language.
- Families who came to Australia decades ago often kept the village words they grew up with.
So if Dedo corrects you, he is not wrong, and neither is this list. Learn the standard word here, then learn your family’s version too. Want help with the family tree side of things? Our guide to tracing your village is a good next step.
Practising in Australia
- Pick three phrases a week. Stick them on the fridge.
- Call Baba and say Добро утро, како си? before switching to English.
- Try your phrases at church lunches, picnics and dance nights. Check the events calendar.
- For holidays, learn the Macedonian Christmas greetings too.
- Want proper classes? See our list of Macedonian schools.
Does your family have a special word for grandkids, or say one of these differently? Send us your family’s version. We would love to collect them.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say ‘I love you’ in Macedonian?
Say Те сакам (te SA-kam). It works for family, friends and partners.
How do you say ‘thank you’ in Macedonian?
Благодарам (bla-GO-da-ram) is the standard thank you. Фала (FA-la) is a casual thanks used at home.
What is the difference between вујко and чичко?
Вујко is your mother’s brother. Чичко, also called стрико, is your father’s brother.
What does Пријатно mean?
Пријатно means „enjoy your meal“ when said at the table. It is also a friendly way to say goodbye.
What do Macedonian grandparents call their grandchildren?
Common pet names include душо (my darling), злато (literally gold), сонце (sunshine) and срце (heart). The word for grandchild is внуче.
Further reading: Macedonian kinship terms (Wikipedia) and SBS Macedonian.
Прочитајте на македонски: Основни македонски изрази: 25 збора што секое внуче треба да ги знае