добро

Bulgarian

Etymology

Nominalization of добъ́р (dobǎ́r) +‎ -о́ (-ó).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [doˈbrɔ]

• Audio (Standard Bulgarian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -rɔ
• Syllabification^(key): до‧бро
• Hyphenation^(key): доб‧ро

Noun

добро́ • (dobró) n (relational adjective добъ́р)

1. good, goodness

   за тво́е добро́

   za tvóe dobró

   for your own good, in your interest

   вся́ко зло за добро́

   vsjáko zlo za dobró

   a blessing in disguise

   (literally, “for each evil, there is a good”)

2. good omen
3. (uncountable) welfare

Declension

Declension of добро́

	singular
indefinite	добро́ dobró
definite	добро́то dobróto

Related terms

• добрина́ (dobriná, “good, kindness”)

Descendants

• → Turkish: dobra

References

• “добро”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “добро”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010

Anagrams

• добро- (dobro-), бодро (bodro)

Macedonian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *dobrъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdɔbrɔ]
  • (Skopje) IPA^(key): [ˈdɔˑβ̞rɔ̩]

Adverb

добро • (dobro) (comparative подобро, superlative најдобро)

1. well, alright, fine, okay

   Synonym: арно (arno)

   Antonym: недобро (nedobro)

Noun

добро • (dobro) n

1. (economics) good

Declension

Declension of добро

	singular	plural
indefinite	добро (dobro)	добра (dobra)
definite unspecified	доброто (dobroto)	добрата (dobrata)
definite proximal	доброво (dobrovo)	добрава (dobrava)
definite distal	доброно (dobrono)	добрана (dobrana)
vocative	добро (dobro)	добра (dobra)

Russian

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old East Slavic добръ (dobrŭ), in turn from Proto-Slavic *dòbrъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dɐˈbro]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

добро́ • (dobró) n inan (genitive добра́, uncountable)

1. good (that which is ethical or moral, the opposite of evil)
2. goods, property
   • 1972 [1955, 1938], Lazar Lagin, “Беспокойный вечер”, in Старик Хоттабыч [Starik Xottabyč], page 46; English translation based on “A Troubled Evening”, in Faina Solasko, transl., The Old Genie Hottabych, 1960, page 54:

     — Я превращу в пыль все товары, и все столы, и всё оборудование этой презренной лавки!
     — Ты с ума сошёл! — вконец возмутился Волька.— Ведь это государственное добро, старая ты балда!

     — Ja prevrašču v pylʹ vse tovary, i vse stoly, i vsjo oborudovanije etoj prezrennoj lavki!
     — Ty s uma sošól! — vkonec vozmutilsja Volʹka.— Vedʹ eto gosudarstvennoje dobro, staraja ty balda!

     “I’ll turn all the goods, all the tables and all the equipment of this despicable shop into dust!”
     “You’re mad!” Volka said, really angry by now. “Don’t you know that’s government property, you old dope!”

3. stuff
4. (colloquial) green light, consent, permission, the OK

   Комите́т дал добро́ на пока́з но́вого фи́льма. ― Komitét dal dobró na pokáz nóvovo fílʹma. ― The committee has given the go-ahead for screening the new film.

5. the name of the letter д in the ancient Slavonic or old Russian alphabet

Declension

Declension of добро́ (inan sg-only neut-form hard-stem accent-b) 

	singular
nominative	добро́ dobró
genitive	добра́ dobrá
dative	добру́ dobrú
accusative	добро́ dobró
instrumental	добро́м dobróm
prepositional	добре́ dobré

Pre-reform declension of добро́ (inan sg-only neut-form hard-stem accent-b) 

	singular
nominative	добро́ dobró
genitive	добра́ dobrá
dative	добру́ dobrú
accusative	добро́ dobró
instrumental	добро́мъ dobróm
prepositional	добрѣ́ dobrě́

Derived terms

Proverbs

• нет ху́да без добра́ (net xúda bez dobrá)
• от добра́ добра́ не и́щут (ot dobrá dobrá ne íščut)

Descendants

• → Armenian: դաբրո (dabro)
• → Ingrian: dobra

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• добро́: IPA^(key): [dɐˈbro]

• Audio:

  (file)

• до́бро: IPA^(key): [ˈdobrə]

• Audio:

  (file)

Particle

добро́ or до́бро • (dobró or dóbro)

1. okay

Adverb

добро́ or до́бро • (dobró or dóbro)

1. kindly

Adjective

добро́ or до́бро • (dobró or dóbro)

1. short neuter singular of до́брый (dóbryj)

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dǒbro/
• Hyphenation: доб‧ро

Noun

до̀бро m inan (Latin spelling dòbro)

1. Name of the letter <d> in the Glagolitic alphabet.

Etymology 2

From до̏бар.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dǒbro/
• Hyphenation: доб‧ро

Noun

до̀бро n (Latin spelling dòbro)

1. property, estate
2. well-being, welfare, sake

Declension

Declension of добро

	singular	plural
nominative	до̀бро	добра
genitive	до̀бра	доба́ра̄
dative	добру	добрима
accusative	добро	добра
vocative	добро	добра
locative	добру	добрима
instrumental	добром	добрима

Etymology 3

From до̏бар.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dǒbro/

• Audio (Serbia):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: доб‧ро

Adverb

до̀бро (Latin spelling dòbro)

1. well

Interjection

до̀бро (Latin spelling dòbro)

1. okay, all right, very well

Etymology 4

Borrowed from English dobro, in turn from Slovak dobro.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dǒbro/
• Hyphenation: доб‧ро

Noun

до̀бро m inan (Latin spelling dòbro)

1. dobro (acoustic guitar)

References

• “добро”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026
• “добро”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026
• “добро”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026
• “добро”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026

Ukrainian

Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic добръ (dobrŭ), in turn from Proto-Slavic *dòbrъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dɔˈbrɔ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

добро́ • (dobró) n inan (genitive добра́, uncountable)

1. good (that which is correct or helpful)
2. goods, property

Declension

Declension of добро́
(inan sg-only hard neut-form accent-d)

	singular
nominative	добро́ dobró
genitive	добра́ dobrá
dative	добру́ dobrú
accusative	добро́ dobró
instrumental	добро́м dobróm
locative	добрі́ dobrí
vocative	добро́ dobró

Related terms

• добро́бут (dobróbut)
• добро́дій (dobródij)
• до́брий (dóbryj)
• доброта́ (dobrotá)

Further reading

• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “добро”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka
• Shyrokov, V. A., editor (2010–2025), “добро”, in Словник української мови: у 20 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 20 vols] (in Ukrainian), volumes 1–15 (а – п'ять), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka; Ukrainian Lingua-Information Fund, →ISBN
• “добро”, in Горох – Словозміна [Horox – Slovozmina, Horokh – Inflection]‎^[1]
• “добро”, in Словник.ua [Slovnyk.ua, Slovnyk.ua]‎^[2]