|
So you want to be a real Croat, eh? Or you want people to think that you are. Izvoli! or Izvolite! Meanings, according to the Bujas dictionary are: (nuđenje) Here you are! Have some/one! (kod jela) Have some! Help yourself! (prođite) After you! Of course, we use Izvoli! in the informal way, and Izvolite! in formal, or plural, situations.  Sjedite u konobi s prijateljicom i naručite dvije čase vina. Malo kasnije, konobar dolazi s vinom. Konobar: Izvolite! You have guests (who are good friends) at home for dinner. You are having pre/dinner snacks, and you offer to each some masline .... You: Izvoli, Ivane! Izvoli, Marinela! Izvoli, Jelena! You put some table napkins on the table for your guests (The same ones at dinner as above), and invite them to help themselves. You: Izvolite! Josip arrives at the office door just as Snježana appears. He holds the door open and invites her to go in first (not because Snježana is a woman, but because he shows respect for people). Josip: Izvolite! You are in the queue at the food counter in the local shop, to buy some kobasice and some cheeses. You come to the front of the line. Prodavačica: Izvolite! [Can I help you?] This is a purely hypothetical situation .... Stara žena ulazi u tramvaj. Nema mjesta. Boris koji ima 8 godina sjedi blizu nje. On jede bonbone i igra s mobitelom. Vidi ženu. Boris, ustajući: izvolite! Stara žena je imala infarkt zbog iznenađenja. Basically, just use "Izvoli!" (singular, informal) or "Izvolite!" (informal singular, or plural) whenever you are giving something to someone, or asking them to take something. If in doubt, use it, and you will be taken for a Croatian. Click here to go to Aha! Croatian: A ROAD MAP
0 Comments
|