Learning a new language can be both an exciting and challenging journey, and Serbian is no exception. Serbian, a South Slavic language, is spoken primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and parts of Croatia. While it may seem daunting at first, mastering Serbian grammar can open up a whole new world of communication and cultural understanding. In this guide, we’ll explore the essential components of Serbian grammar to help you get started on the path to fluency.
The Serbian Alphabet: Cyrillic and Latin Scripts
Serbian is unique in that it uses both Cyrillic and Latin scripts. Most Serbians are fluent in both, and you’ll find both scripts used interchangeably in media, signage, and literature. Here are the Serbian alphabets:
Cyrillic Alphabet:
А Б В Г Д Ђ Е Ж З И Ј К Л Љ М Н Њ О П Р С Т Ћ У Ф Х Ц Ч Џ Ш
Latin Alphabet:
A B C Č Ć D Dž Đ E F G H I J K L Lj M N Nj O P R S Š T U V Z Ž
It’s crucial to become familiar with both scripts, as you’ll encounter them frequently in your studies and daily interactions.
Nouns and Gender
In Serbian, nouns are categorized by gender: masculine, feminine, and neuter. The gender of a noun affects how it is declined and which adjectives and pronouns are used with it.
Masculine nouns generally end in a consonant (e.g., “grad” – city).
Feminine nouns usually end in -a (e.g., “kuća” – house).
Neuter nouns typically end in -o or -e (e.g., “more” – sea, “selo” – village).
Cases in Serbian
Serbian is a highly inflected language, meaning that the endings of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives change depending on their role in the sentence. There are seven cases in Serbian:
1. **Nominative (Nominativ)** – Used for the subject of the sentence (e.g., “Pas trči” – The dog runs).
2. **Genitive (Genitiv)** – Used to show possession or relationship (e.g., “Kuća mog prijatelja” – My friend’s house).
3. **Dative (Dativ)** – Used for the indirect object (e.g., “Dajem knjigu prijatelju” – I give the book to a friend).
4. **Accusative (Akuzativ)** – Used for the direct object (e.g., “Vidim psa” – I see the dog).
5. **Vocative (Vokativ)** – Used for addressing someone directly (e.g., “Marko, dođi ovamo!” – Marko, come here!).
6. **Instrumental (Instrumental)** – Used to show the means by which an action is performed (e.g., “Pišem olovkom” – I write with a pen).
7. **Locative (Lokativ)** – Used to indicate location (e.g., “Govorim o gradu” – I am talking about the city).
Understanding and mastering these cases is crucial for proper sentence construction in Serbian.
Pronouns
Pronouns in Serbian also change form depending on the case. Here are the basic forms for personal pronouns in the nominative case:
– **Ja** (I)
– **Ti** (You – singular, informal)
– **On** (He)
– **Ona** (She)
– **Ono** (It)
– **Mi** (We)
– **Vi** (You – plural, or singular formal)
– **Oni** (They – masculine or mixed gender)
– **One** (They – feminine)
– **Ona** (They – neuter)
Declension of Pronouns
Let’s look at the declension of the pronoun “ja” (I) in different cases:
– **Nominative:** Ja (I)
– **Genitive:** Mene (of me)
– **Dative:** Meni (to me)
– **Accusative:** Mene (me)
– **Vocative:** — (not commonly used)
– **Instrumental:** Mnom (with me)
– **Locative:** Meni (about me)
Each pronoun follows a similar pattern of declension depending on the case.
Verbs and Conjugation
Verbs in Serbian are conjugated based on the subject and tense. Here are the basic present tense conjugations for the verb “biti” (to be):
– **Ja sam** (I am)
– **Ti si** (You are – singular, informal)
– **On/Ona/Ono je** (He/She/It is)
– **Mi smo** (We are)
– **Vi ste** (You are – plural or singular formal)
– **Oni/One/Ona su** (They are)
Past and Future Tenses
Past Tense: Serbian uses a compound past tense formed with the auxiliary verb “biti” (to be) and the past participle of the main verb. For example, the past tense of “raditi” (to work) is:
– **Ja sam radio/radila** (I worked – masculine/feminine)
– **Ti si radio/radila** (You worked – singular, informal)
– **On/Ona/Ono je radio/radila/radilo** (He/She/It worked)
– **Mi smo radili/radile** (We worked – masculine/mixed/feminine)
– **Vi ste radili/radile** (You worked – plural or singular formal)
– **Oni/One/Ona su radili/radile/radila** (They worked – masculine/mixed/feminine/neuter)
Future Tense: The future tense is formed using the auxiliary verb “hteti” (to want) in its present tense form followed by the infinitive of the main verb. For example, the future tense of “raditi” (to work) is:
– **Ja ću raditi** (I will work)
– **Ti ćeš raditi** (You will work – singular, informal)
– **On/Ona/Ono će raditi** (He/She/It will work)
– **Mi ćemo raditi** (We will work)
– **Vi ćete raditi** (You will work – plural or singular formal)
– **Oni/One/Ona će raditi** (They will work)
Adjectives
Adjectives in Serbian agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify. They generally follow the noun they describe. For example:
– **Dobar pas** (Good dog – masculine)
– **Dobra kuća** (Good house – feminine)
– **Dobro selo** (Good village – neuter)
Declension of Adjectives
Adjectives are declined based on the gender, number, and case of the nouns they modify. Here is the declension of “dobar” (good) in the singular nominative case:
– **Masculine:** Dobar (e.g., Dobar pas – Good dog)
– **Feminine:** Dobra (e.g., Dobra kuća – Good house)
– **Neuter:** Dobro (e.g., Dobro selo – Good village)
In the plural nominative case:
– **Masculine:** Dobri (e.g., Dobri psi – Good dogs)
– **Feminine:** Dobre (e.g., Dobre kuće – Good houses)
– **Neuter:** Dobra (e.g., Dobra sela – Good villages)
Prepositions
Prepositions in Serbian often determine the case of the noun or pronoun that follows them. Some common prepositions and their corresponding cases include:
– **U** (in) – followed by locative or accusative
– **Na** (on) – followed by locative or accusative
– **S(a)** (with) – followed by instrumental
– **Kod** (at) – followed by genitive
– **Do** (to, until) – followed by genitive
– **Za** (for) – followed by accusative
For example:
– **U kući** (in the house – locative)
– **Na stolu** (on the table – locative)
– **S prijateljem** (with a friend – instrumental)
– **Kod kuće** (at home – genitive)
– **Do grada** (to the city – genitive)
– **Za tebe** (for you – accusative)
Numbers
Numbers in Serbian can be both cardinal (one, two, three) and ordinal (first, second, third). Here are the basic cardinal numbers:
– **Jedan** (one)
– **Dva** (two)
– **Tri** (three)
– **Četiri** (four)
– **Pet** (five)
– **Šest** (six)
– **Sedam** (seven)
– **Osam** (eight)
– **Devet** (nine)
– **Deset** (ten)
Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the appropriate suffix:
– **Prvi** (first)
– **Drugi** (second)
– **Treći** (third)
– **Četvrti** (fourth)
– **Peti** (fifth)
– **Šesti** (sixth)
– **Sedmi** (seventh)
– **Osmi** (eighth)
– **Deveti** (ninth)
– **Deseti** (tenth)
Basic Sentence Structure
The basic word order in Serbian is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), but due to the inflectional nature of the language, word order can be flexible. Here are some example sentences:
– **Ja jedem jabuku.** (I eat an apple.)
– **Ti voliš psa.** (You love the dog.)
– **On piše pismo.** (He writes a letter.)
However, due to the case system, the meaning of the sentence remains clear even if the word order changes:
– **Jabuku jedem ja.** (The apple is eaten by me.)
– **Psa voliš ti.** (The dog is loved by you.)
– **Pismo piše on.** (The letter is written by him.)
Common Phrases and Vocabulary
To get you started, here are some common phrases and vocabulary in Serbian:
– **Zdravo!** (Hello!)
– **Dobar dan!** (Good day!)
– **Kako si?** (How are you? – informal)
– **Kako ste?** (How are you? – formal)
– **Hvala!** (Thank you!)
– **Molim!** (Please/You’re welcome)
– **Izvinite!** (Excuse me/Sorry)
– **Da** (Yes)
– **Ne** (No)
– **Koliko je sati?** (What time is it?)
– **Gde je…?** (Where is…?)
– **Koji je danas dan?** (What day is it today?)
– **Koliko košta?** (How much does it cost?)
Conclusion
Mastering Serbian grammar may seem challenging at first, but with consistent practice and exposure, it becomes more manageable. Understanding the basics of the alphabet, nouns and gender, cases, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, numbers, and basic sentence structure will provide a solid foundation for further study. Remember, language learning is a gradual process, so be patient with yourself and enjoy the journey. Happy learning!