Serbian present tense is
not very difficult for understanding and remembering. The only part that might
make certain difficulty to the Serbian learners is the form for 3rd
person plural.
Let’s repeat the endings: Singular: -M, -Š, -O, Plural: -MO, -TE, -U/-E/-JU.
These endings are always the same for every verb of Serbian language in present tense whose basic form (infinitive) end with –TI. The only form with variations is 3rd person plural –U/-E/-JU.
But there is a rule that might help us to choose the right ending with a verb we want to conjugate or to use in a sentence.
In 3rd person of Serbian present tense, endings might be –U, -E or –JU. That depends on a 1st of the verb we want to conjugate.
If the verb in its 1st person form ends with –im, form in a 3rd person will end with –E. Verbs: voleti (1st person – volim, 3rd person – vole), videti (1st person – vidim, 3rd person – vide), misliti (1st - person mislim, 3rd person – misle), tražiti (1st person – tražim, 3rd person – traže) etc.
If the verb in its 1st person form ends with –em, form in a 3rd person will end with –U. Verbs: kazati (1st person – kažem, 3rd person – kažu), piti (1st person – pijem, 3rd person – piju), pasti (1st person – padnem, 3rd person – padnu), jesti (1st person – jedem, 3rd person – jedu), etc. These verbs are most often irregular.
The majority of the verbs end with –JU in a 3rd person plural of present tense. These verbs are mostly regular and end with –am in a 1st person of present tense.
If you have more questions about the Present tense in Serbian language, write to Serbian Teacher Online - kratkeprice@gmail.com
Lidija Novakovic Lagrini
The text which follows might help you to expand your Serbian vocabulary and to practice making simple sentences in Serbian language.
Text: Leto u
Srbiji
U julu je u
Srbiji uvek veoma toplo. Temperatura je nekad 40 stepeni.
Mnogi Srbi idu na more, u Grčku, Tursku ili Crnu Goru.
Beograđani imaju Adu. To je rečno ostrvo. Na
njemu su plaža, sportski tereni za badmington, tenis, odbojku, golf; mali
Zoološki vrt sa domaćim životinjama, itd. Posetioci mogu videti ovce, mačke,
pse, labudove... U restoranu mogu naručiti pljeskavice, riblju čorbu ili
pasulj. Nije skupo.
U Srbiji se održavaju mnogi festivali. Na
primer Exit u Novom Sadu i festival trube u Guči. Na Exitu sviraju moderni
tehno, pop, dens bendovi. Na festivalu u Guči sviraju trubački bendovi. Exit je
u julu, a festival u Guči je u avgustu.
Exercises
1. Translate:
Truba
Pljeskavice
Bend
U julu
Na primer
Festival
Rečno ostrvo
Mačke
Ovce
Labudovi
Plaža
Badmington
Mnogi
More
Riblja čorba
Nije skupo
In
August
40 degrees
Temperature
warm
Sport courts
In Serbia
Always
Very
Monte Negro
Citizens of Belgrade
That
Domestic animals
Golf
Zoo
Dogs
May order
Restaurant
Beans
To take place
In Novi Sad
Modern
2. Use the following words/phrases
and make simple sentences:
U Novom Sadu
Festival
U avgustu
Pljeskavice
Naručiti
Ada
Domaće životinje
mačke
When you are done, send your solutions to my email and I will check your answers and send you the feedback.
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Lidija Novakovic Lagrini
PAST TENSE – PROŠLO
VREME
The tenses in Serbian language might be simple or complex. Past tense belongs to the group of complex tenses, because it is made of two verbs (an auxiliary verb and an ordinary verb).
When you want to make past tense in Serbian language, you will use:
1) auxilliary verb ’jesam’ (shorter form)
+
2) stem – the first part of the verb (without ending ’ti’) – gleda(ti), peva(ti), žele(ti) ...
And then you add endings – o, la, lo, li, le, la (depending of a gender of a word)
Examples:
1)
Ja sam želeo, želela, želelo
Ti si želeo, želela, želelo
On je želeo, ona je želela, ono je želelo
Mi smo želeli, želele, želela
Vi ste želeli, želele, želela
Oni su želeli, one su želele, ona su želela
2)
Ja sam pevao, pevala, pevalo
Ti si pevao, pevala, pevalo
On je pevao, ona je pevala, ono je pevalo
Mi smo pevali, pevale, pevala
Vi ste pevali, pevale, pevala
Oni su pevali, one su pevale, ona su pevala
EXERCISES:
1. Make the past tense from
following verbs (napravi prošlo vreme od sledećih glagola):
Tražiti VratitiČekati Igrati Praviti
2. Podvuci glagole u
prošlom vremenu – Underline verbs in past tense:
Ja sam spavala do podne.Oni su ostali sa nama.Čekali smo voz.Marko je mislio na Anu.Ti si pričao o vestima.Dečaci su trčali na stadionu.Devojčica je želela lutku.Prijatelji su pili vino.Učitelj je glasno čitao knjigu.Sestre su govorile holandski jezik.Ja sam telefonirala dečku.Uveče u dnevnoj sobi otac je gledao TV.Šetali smo u centru Amsterdama.Vreme je bilo lepo.
3. Put the sentences into
past time, like in example
Oni dolaze u
podne. – Oni su dolazili u podne.
Mi razgovaramo o knjizi.
Ana misli na svoju sestru.
Kiša pada.
Marko i Ana sanjaju isti san.
Za doručak imate musli i jogurt.
Telefon zvoni.
Marko spava.
Sunce sija.
Ana vozi dobar auto.
Moj deda dobro kuva.
Da li želiš čašu mleka?
Maja lepo peva.
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Write me to check your answers.
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Lidija Lagrini
Да ли Ваше дете жели да научи ћирилицу, али на интернету не може наћи задатке за свој ниво? Ево једног лаког вежбања које га може подстаћи и охрабрити у учењу.
Encourage your child to learn Serbian Cyrillic with Serbian teacher online.
Which Cyrillic letters are missing ?
Which Cyrillic letters are missing ?
Која ћирилична слова недостају ?
Уколико желите још вежбања попут овог, пишите ми на kratkeprice@gmail.com .
Да ли сте погодили ? Пишите ми и проверите своје одговоре.
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Lidija Novakovic Lagrini
Lidija Novakovic Lagrini
In everyday conversations, we very often use modal constructions.The formula for making modal construction in present tense in Serbian language is:
MODAL VERB + DA + VERB
Modal verbs in every language are the verbs which usually
demand other verb.
Like in English examples: I have to go. You may proceed. I want
to talk. We need to stay. etc.
These verbs often have the irregular conjugation. Let’s first
see the conjugation of these verbs (and later we’ll see them in a role of modal
verbs):
MOĆI (may) – iregular verb
Ja mogu
Ti možeš
On, ona, ono može
Mi možemo
Vi možete
Oni, one, ona mogu
HTETI (want) – this verb is iregular, modal and auxiliary
verb
Ja hoću/ću
Ti hoćeš/ćeš
On, ona, ono hoće/će
Mi hoćemo/ćemo
Vi hoćete/ćete
Oni, one, ona hoće/će
MORATI (must, have to) – regular verb
SMETI (to be allowed) – regular verb
ŽELETI (wish) – iregular verb
Ja želim
Ti želiš
On, ona, ono želi
Mi želimo
Vi želite
Oni, one, ona žele
VOLETI (love, like) – the same conjugation as ŽELETI
TREBATI (need) – this verb is special and it is only in use
in its modal form:
Ja treba da...
Ti treba da...
On, ona, ono treba da...
Mi treba da...
Vi treba da...
Oni, one, ona treba da...
ZNATI – regular verb
In modal constructions, these verbs are used with the conjunction
DA.
Examples:
Ja znam da plivam
Ti treba sada da spavaš.
Mi moramo da učimo.
Vi smete još malo da spavate.
Ona želi da uči nemački jezik.
On može da ide.
Ja ću sada da kuvam.
When you learn how to make modal constructions in Serbian language, that will be a nice way to say your message in conversation and to improve your communication skills. If you want to learn Serbian modal construction in past tense, write me
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Lidija Novaković Lagrini
Is it difficult to learn Serbian language ?
Depends. Some areas are easy and some are difficult; just like in many other languages. If you want to learn easy language, learn Esperanto. But, unfortunately, you probably won't find too many people to talk with. It's a shame, Esperanto is a wonderful language. But, let's get back to the Serbian.
What is easy?
1) Words order. It's pretty much liberal in comparison to other languages. Just relax and combine the words.
2) Alphabet. We brag sometimes that we have the perfect alphabet, because we accomplished the ideal - one letter for one sound. That is making the reading easier, naturally.
3) Present tense of regular verbs. There is a grammar formula for this and you may apply it to all regular verbs. To make negative form is equally easy, by adding 'ne' in front of the verb.
What is of the medium difficulty?
1) Gender of changeable words. Many languages have this category. In Serbian it's not too difficult to recognize the gender. Either use simple logic, or pay attention to the last letter.
2) Plural. There are few grammar patterns for making plural.
3) Modal constructions. Modal verb and the following verb are always connected by conjunction DA.
4) DA LI questions. You may easily learn this basic type of asking questions.
What is difficult?
1) Case. Changeable words have different endings depending of the role the word takes in a sentence. For example, the word 'majka' (mother) might be 'majke', 'majci', 'majku', 'majko', majkom', and that is only the declension in singular.
If you are a speaker of some other language which recognizes cases (Slavic languages for example), this will not be difficult for you, because you understand the concept. But if you are not...
How to make the difficult easier?
a) memorize propositions, b) memorize typical declensions for all three genders, c) read the theory about different positions words might have in a sentence, it helps.
2) Pronunciation of some letters, I will write them in Cyrillic: Ђ, Џ, Њ, Љ, Ч, Ћ. Sometimes R (Р in Cyrillic).
How to make this easier, you may read in the article Pronunciation of Serbian Letters .
Are you a learner of Serbian ? Do you agree with my opinion ?
it would be valuable to know,
Serbian Teacher online
Lidija Novaković Lagrini