# Serbian: Opa



## perpend

The source of this is from watching a Serbian folk dance group. They sang "opa" sometimes during the performance, or at least that's what I heard.

I had only every heard this in Greece.

Is "opa" widespread in the Balkans, no matter whether "Greek" or "Slavic?.

Maybe it has different meanings. It sounded sort of like "cheers", but not necessarily.

I guess I could Google this to death, but thought I'd ask here first.


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## Panceltic

Hi,

I can tell about Slovenia, people here usually say "opa" when they drop something or do something clumsy (e.g. bump in the door or sth like that). It can also be said if you bump into someone by accident, or ring the wrong number etc ... The word is very informal and is usually accompanied by "pardon" (sort of like the speaker realises it's not really polite to say opa and then adds pardon).


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## 123xyz

In Macedonia, we use "опа" under the same circumstances in Slovenia, i.e. when we do something clumsy, so it's like "oops" in English. However, we also use it playfully to express admiration, possibly with a hint of a sarcasm. For example, one could say "опа" upon seeing one's friend with a hot girl (like "oooh!" in English, I guess) or upon seeing one's neighbour's fancy new car (like "damn!" in English). Finally, we have "опа" in songs during instrumental sections, where it doesn't mean anything - I don't know how to explain what sort of emotion it evokes. Listen to "Devojka sa čardas nogama" by Đorđe Balašević to see how it's used (yes, this song is the Serbian, but the musical usage of "опа" is the same as in Macedonian music).


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## Panceltic

Yes, we use it in the other (girl/car ) circumstances too, but it's said with a totally different intonation, so kind of not the same word 

But in music, it doesn't exist over here.


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## thegreathoo

Yes, it is widespread, but there are pockets that do not have traditional folk dances, like dalmatian coast in general for example, so they would not have that.  Also, "opa" by itself is not widespread but "opa" and its variants are, like "op," opsa," "ojha," "oj," joj" and then it becomes "juh" or "iiuh" close to Slovenia.


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## 123xyz

Apparently, Hungarian also uses "opa", or rather "op", in songs, as can be heard in "Nem volt a Szása".


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## Niko-

It's somethig like "wow".  

"I won the lottery"/ Pobedio sam na lutriji
"Wow, congrats"/"Opa, čestitam"


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## perpend

Thanks, all. I am not in the know, Niko-, as you know, but "wow" could work in the folk-dance scene. It is sometimes about opposing sexes checking one another out.

Would dancers shout that out? The scenes in this dancing suggest that.


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## Gerry905

Same thing in Bulgaria. I didn't know it was so widespread.


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## Niko-

It's a kind of "hey!" (I mean it can be just an interjection like "olè" or something). 
Also the English "yeah" is often used in songs sometimes even if there's not an apperently good reason to do it.
It's a joyful and funny intensifier.


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## velisarius

I asked my Albanian friend about the use of "opa" in Albania and he says they use it too, as an interjection in various situations but especially when there's dancing and celebrations - as a sign of high spirits _(kefi). 
_
I attended an Albanian christening party once (Catholic Albanians) and the music was similar to music from mainland Greece, as was the dancing, with enthusiastic non-participants going down on one knee, clapping, and shouting "opa" in front of someone else dancing  solo.

My little grand-daughter isn't quite two years' old yet and she's growing up bilingual Greek/English. I was amused to note that she's recently started saying "Opa!".


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