Serbian is a South Slavic language spoken by millions of people in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and parts of Croatia. One of the key aspects of mastering Serbian is understanding its verb conjugation patterns. Verb conjugation in Serbian can seem daunting at first, especially to English speakers, but breaking it down into common patterns and irregularities can make it more manageable. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to Serbian verb conjugation, highlighting common patterns and addressing key irregularities.
Basic Verb Conjugation in Serbian
Serbian verbs are categorized into three main conjugation classes based on the infinitive endings: -ati, -iti, and -eti. Additionally, verbs are conjugated according to person, number, tense, aspect (perfective or imperfective), mood, and voice. Let’s start by examining the present tense conjugation for each class.
First Conjugation Class: -ati Verbs
Verbs ending in -ati follow a relatively straightforward pattern. Here’s a common example: “raditi” (to work).
Present Tense Conjugation:
– Ja radim (I work)
– Ti radiš (You work, singular)
– On/ona/ono radi (He/she/it works)
– Mi radimo (We work)
– Vi radite (You work, plural/formal)
– Oni/one/ona rade (They work)
Notice the stem of the verb “rad-” remains consistent, and the endings change according to the subject pronoun.
Second Conjugation Class: -iti Verbs
Verbs ending in -iti also follow a pattern that can be easily memorized. For example, “pisati” (to write).
Present Tense Conjugation:
– Ja pišem (I write)
– Ti pišeš (You write, singular)
– On/ona/ono piše (He/she/it writes)
– Mi pišemo (We write)
– Vi pišete (You write, plural/formal)
– Oni/one/ona pišu (They write)
Again, the stem “piš-” is maintained while the endings adjust based on the subject pronoun.
Third Conjugation Class: -eti Verbs
Verbs ending in -eti show a slightly different pattern. Consider “voleti” (to love).
Present Tense Conjugation:
– Ja volim (I love)
– Ti voliš (You love, singular)
– On/ona/ono voli (He/she/it loves)
– Mi volimo (We love)
– Vi volite (You love, plural/formal)
– Oni/one/ona vole (They love)
The stem “vol-” remains the same, and the endings change according to the subject pronoun.
Past Tense Conjugation
Conjugating verbs in the past tense in Serbian involves a different set of endings. The past tense is formed using the past participle of the verb along with an auxiliary verb that agrees with the subject in person and number.
Let’s look at the same verbs in the past tense.
Raditi (to work) – Past Tense Conjugation:
– Ja sam radio/radila (I worked, male/female)
– Ti si radio/radila (You worked, singular, male/female)
– On/ona/ono je radio/radila/radilo (He/she/it worked)
– Mi smo radili/radile (We worked, male/female)
– Vi ste radili/radile (You worked, plural/formal, male/female)
– Oni/one/ona su radili/radile/radila (They worked, male/female/neuter)
Pisati (to write) – Past Tense Conjugation:
– Ja sam pisao/pisala (I wrote, male/female)
– Ti si pisao/pisala (You wrote, singular, male/female)
– On/ona/ono je pisao/pisala/pisalo (He/she/it wrote)
– Mi smo pisali/pisale (We wrote, male/female)
– Vi ste pisali/pisale (You wrote, plural/formal, male/female)
– Oni/one/ona su pisali/pisale/pisala (They wrote, male/female/neuter)
Voleti (to love) – Past Tense Conjugation:
– Ja sam voleo/volela (I loved, male/female)
– Ti si voleo/volela (You loved, singular, male/female)
– On/ona/ono je voleo/volela/volelo (He/she/it loved)
– Mi smo voleli/volele (We loved, male/female)
– Vi ste voleli/volele (You loved, plural/formal, male/female)
– Oni/one/ona su voleli/volele/volela (They loved, male/female/neuter)
Note that the auxiliary verb “to be” (biti) changes form based on the subject, and the past participle agrees in gender and number.
Future Tense Conjugation
The future tense in Serbian is formed using the verb “hteti” (to want) in its short form as an auxiliary verb along with the infinitive of the main verb.
Raditi (to work) – Future Tense Conjugation:
– Ja ću raditi (I will work)
– Ti ćeš raditi (You will work, singular)
– On/ona/ono će raditi (He/she/it will work)
– Mi ćemo raditi (We will work)
– Vi ćete raditi (You will work, plural/formal)
– Oni/one/ona će raditi (They will work)
Pisati (to write) – Future Tense Conjugation:
– Ja ću pisati (I will write)
– Ti ćeš pisati (You will write, singular)
– On/ona/ono će pisati (He/she/it will write)
– Mi ćemo pisati (We will write)
– Vi ćete pisati (You will write, plural/formal)
– Oni/one/ona će pisati (They will write)
Voleti (to love) – Future Tense Conjugation:
– Ja ću voleti (I will love)
– Ti ćeš voleti (You will love, singular)
– On/ona/ono će voleti (He/she/it will love)
– Mi ćemo voleti (We will love)
– Vi ćete voleti (You will love, plural/formal)
– Oni/one/ona će voleti (They will love)
As you can see, the auxiliary verb “ću/ćeš/će/ćemo/ćete/će” remains consistent while the infinitive form of the main verb follows.
Irregular Verbs
Like many languages, Serbian has its share of irregular verbs. These verbs don’t follow the regular conjugation patterns and must be memorized. Here are some of the most common irregular verbs and their conjugations in the present tense.
Biti (to be) – Present Tense Conjugation:
– Ja sam (I am)
– Ti si (You are, singular)
– On/ona/ono je (He/she/it is)
– Mi smo (We are)
– Vi ste (You are, plural/formal)
– Oni/one/ona su (They are)
Ići (to go) – Present Tense Conjugation:
– Ja idem (I go)
– Ti ideš (You go, singular)
– On/ona/ono ide (He/she/it goes)
– Mi idemo (We go)
– Vi idete (You go, plural/formal)
– Oni/one/ona idu (They go)
Jesti (to eat) – Present Tense Conjugation:
– Ja jedem (I eat)
– Ti jedeš (You eat, singular)
– On/ona/ono jede (He/she/it eats)
– Mi jedemo (We eat)
– Vi jedete (You eat, plural/formal)
– Oni/one/ona jedu (They eat)
Aspect in Serbian Verbs
One unique feature of Serbian (and other Slavic languages) is the concept of aspect. Aspect refers to whether an action is considered complete (perfective) or ongoing (imperfective). Many verbs in Serbian come in pairs to express these aspects.
For example, the verb “pisati” (to write) has an imperfective aspect, indicating an ongoing action. Its perfective counterpart is “napisati” (to write, to complete writing).
Perfective and Imperfective Pairs:
– pisati (to write) – napisati (to complete writing)
– raditi (to work) – uraditi (to complete working)
– voleti (to love) – zavoleti (to fall in love)
Understanding aspect is crucial for conveying the correct meaning in Serbian. Using the wrong aspect can lead to misunderstandings about whether an action has been completed or is still in progress.
Conditional Mood
The conditional mood in Serbian is used to express hypothetical situations, wishes, or polite requests. It’s formed using the auxiliary verb “biti” in its conditional form “bih” along with the past participle of the main verb.
Raditi (to work) – Conditional Mood:
– Ja bih radio/radila (I would work, male/female)
– Ti bi radio/radila (You would work, singular, male/female)
– On/ona/ono bi radio/radila/radilo (He/she/it would work)
– Mi bismo radili/radile (We would work, male/female)
– Vi biste radili/radile (You would work, plural/formal, male/female)
– Oni/one/ona bi radili/radile/radila (They would work, male/female/neuter)
The conditional mood is quite straightforward once you understand the auxiliary verb forms and the use of the past participle.
Imperative Mood
The imperative mood is used to give commands or make requests. Forming the imperative in Serbian varies slightly depending on the verb conjugation class and whether the command is directed at one person or multiple people.
Raditi (to work) – Imperative Mood:
– (ti) radi! (Work!, singular)
– (vi) radite! (Work!, plural/formal)
Pisati (to write) – Imperative Mood:
– (ti) piši! (Write!, singular)
– (vi) pišite! (Write!, plural/formal)
Voleti (to love) – Imperative Mood:
– (ti) voli! (Love!, singular)
– (vi) volite! (Love!, plural/formal)
Imperative forms are essential for everyday interactions, whether you’re instructing someone or making polite requests.
Practical Tips for Mastering Serbian Verb Conjugation
1. **Practice Regularly**: Consistent practice is key to mastering verb conjugation. Use flashcards, apps, or practice with a language partner to reinforce your learning.
2. **Focus on Common Verbs**: Start with the most commonly used verbs in daily conversations. This will give you a solid foundation and boost your confidence.
3. **Learn Verb Pairs**: Pay attention to perfective and imperfective pairs. Understanding how to express completed and ongoing actions is crucial in Serbian.
4. **Use Mnemonics**: Create mnemonic devices to remember irregular verb forms. Associating a verb with a memorable image or phrase can make it easier to recall.
5. **Immerse Yourself**: Surround yourself with Serbian through music, movies, and books. Hearing verbs used in context will help solidify your understanding of their conjugations.
6. **Seek Feedback**: Practice speaking with native speakers or language tutors who can provide feedback and correct your mistakes.
By following these tips and understanding the common patterns and irregularities in Serbian verb conjugation, you’ll be well on your way to becoming proficient in the language. Happy learning!
