Macedonian Language Corner

Learning Macedonian through music is a fun and effective way to immerse yourself in its natural flow. Today, we’re diving into the song ‘По навика’ by Non Stop, a classic pop-rock Macedonian song that talks about habits and emotions. We’ll break down essential vocabulary, look at significant verbs, and emphasize grammatical features to deepen your comprehension.

Brief background on the song

‘По навика’ means ‘By habit’ or ‘Out of habit,’ and in this song, the singer reflects on habits and their emotional consequences.

Full song:

Текст:

По навика, палам цигара нова,

по навика, се лажам од утре не пушам,

по навика, излегувам со мокра коса,

по навика, заборавам да ја исушам.

По навика, тргнувам со втора,

возам по навика, не е дека така морам

низ улица каде немам што јас да барам,

на која живееш ти… По навика.

Понекогаш сум бил и груб, еве, не викам не,

никој не е светец цело време.

Понекогаш, ко некој друг да збори од мене

кого јас, а ниту ти, не го знаеме.

По навика, те чекам во кола,

како доаѓаш те сонувам,

очи отворам, но крај мене, сепак те нема

и по стоти пат, сам заминувам.

Понекогаш сум бил и груб, еве, не викам не,

никој не е светец цело време.

Понекогаш, ко некој друг да збори од мене,

кого јас, а ниту ти, не го знаеме.

Не ми е тешко што сум сам,

тешко ми е што сум без тебе!

Не знам како да го натерам другиот во мене,

еднаш засекогаш да замине.

Grammar focus

• Verbs in context

In the first stanza, all the verbs are conjugated in the first person singular present tense, meaning they describe actions that the speaker is currently doing or habitually does. An important grammatical detail is that all these verbs end in -м (the typical ending for first-person singular present tense in Macedonian).

• Палам цигара нова*– I light a new cigarette
  *The adjective in Macedonian usually comes before the noun, but in poetry and music it can be flexible) 
• Се лажам – I’m lying to myself (reflexive verb) 
• Не пушам (од утре) – I don’t smoke (from tomorrow)
• Излегувам (со мокра коса) – I go out (with wet hair)
• Заборавам да ја исушам (косата) – I forget to dry ‘it’ (my hair)
  
• Тргнувам (со втора) – I start off (in second gear)
• Возам (по навика) – I drive (out of habit)
• Не е дека така морам (It is not that I have to do it that way)
• Немам што да барам (I have nothing to look for)
• На која (улица) живееш ти* (on which [street] you live)
• *Notice that the verb is usually placed after the personal pronoun, like in English “you live” – ти живееш.
  However, by placing “ти” after the verb, the speaker emphasizes who is living on the street—you. It adds a slight dramatic effect or poetic nuance, as it draws more attention to the subject.

So far, we’ve only encountered verbs in the present tense: first person (e.g., палам, лажам) and second person (e.g., живееш). However, in the third stanza, we see the use of сум бил (I have been), which is in the минато неопределено / past undetermined tense. This tense is often used to describe actions or states that happened at some indefinite point in the past without specifying exactly when. 

• Сум бил (и груб) – I have been (rough, too)
• Не викам* не – I am not saying no
  *”Викам“ is the colloquial form of the verb “вели”, commonly used in informal conversations, making it more prevalent in everyday speech among friends or in relaxed settings. In contrast, “вели” is more formal and is often used in writing or in situations that require a level of politeness or seriousness.
• Никој не е светец (no one is a saint: the verb to be, third person singular)
• Ко* некој друг да збори* (as if someone else speaks)
  *“Ко” is a colloquial shortening of “како,” commonly used in informal speech.
  *The verb “збори” is а form of the verb зборува (to speak), used here as a colloquial form or slang in Skopje, meaning “to speak.”
• Кого јас, а ниту ти (ние) не го знаеме – Whom I, nor you (we) do not know
  

• Те чекам – I wait for you
• Доаѓаш – You come
• Те сонувам – I dream (of you)
• (Очи) отворам – I open (my eyes)
• Те нема* – You are not here (literally “there’s no you”)
• *“има” means “there is” or “to have,” indicating presence, while “нема” means “there is not” or “to not have”.
• Сам заминувам – I leave alone

• Не ми е тешко што сум сам – It is not difficult (for me) to be alone
• Тешко ми е што сум без тебе – It is difficult (for me) to be without you
• Не знам – I don’t know
• Натерам – I force/make someone do something 
• Да замине – to leave

Vocabulary focus

Practice Activity

Listen to the song while reading along with the lyrics. Try to identify the key phrases and their meanings. Afterward, write a short paragraph about your own habits in Macedonian, using “по навика” to describe them.

As you’ve seen through the song По навика, learning Macedonian can be a lot more fun when you combine music with language practice. Not only have we explored some important verbs and vocabulary, but we’ve also delved into grammar features. Next time you listen to the song, try singing along, paying attention to how the verbs are used, and practice incorporating new words into your own sentences.

What about you? Do you have a favorite Macedonian song you’d like to learn from? Share it in the comments below, and let’s explore more music together!

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