Prošlo vreme, or Perfekt, as we call it in Serbian, is the past tense which covers all the English past tenses (the Past Simple, Past Continuous, Present and Past perfect). It is most commonly used tense for expressing past time events. The Aorist tense is also used, though not that often.

Formation of PERFECT in Serbian

Here is the formula for the Past Tense in Serbian:

LONG FORM:
Subject + present of TO BE + Past Participle (or literally: ' past participle adjective ' = glagolski pridev radni) For a very thorough explanation check this link.

Ti si plesala. (You were dancing.)

SHORT FORM:

Past Participle + present of TO BE

Plesala si.


It is formed by replacing the 'i/e/ati' or 'ći' infinitive ending of the verb with the past participle endings as follows:

Masc. Sg -o
Fem. Sg - la
N. Sg -lo
Masc. Pl -li
Fem. Pl - le
N. Pl -la

I will use the opportunity of this excellent video to introduce past tense verbs:

Novak je pobedio Federera.

Novakova devojka je skakala od sreće, a njegovi prijatelji su se radovali.

Federer je polomio reket, a posle je bacao flaše, što možete videti na snimku.



* With reflexive form of the word, the auxilliary "to be" is dropped in the third person singular, so :
"She woke up" = Ona se probudila. or Probudila se.  (instead of ona je se probudila, or probudila je se)

For more Serbian video lessons check this page.

The pattern becomes visible through comparison. The Serbian past tense joins a present-tense helper with an active participle whose ending notices gender and number.

Shape the trail inside past tense in serbian

The Serbian past tense joins a present-tense helper with an active participle whose ending notices gender and number. Listen for the contrast before naming the rule. Read the Serbian examples as complete thoughts, not as containers for isolated vocabulary. Notice which word changes the meaning most strongly, and allow the surrounding words to show its grammatical job.

Five memorable lines for past tense in serbian

LatinicaĆirilicaEnglish
Juče sam pronašla izgubljeni prsten.Јуче сам пронашла изгубљени прстен.Yesterday I found the lost ring.
Milan je zakasnio na poslednji autobus.Милан је закаснио на последњи аутобус.Milan missed the last bus.
Deca su napravila tvrđavu od peska.Деца су направила тврђаву од песка.The children built a sand fortress.
Sinoć smo dugo razgovarali na terasi.Синоћ смо дуго разговарали на тераси.Last night we talked on the terrace for a long time.
Da li si pročitao njenu poruku?Да ли си прочитао њену поруку?Did you read her message?

A map from recognition to speech with past tense in serbian

Move from Juče sam pronašla izgubljeni prsten. towards Da li si pročitao njenu poruku?, but stop at the sentence that feels least comfortable. Act out the situation with an imaginary partner, and then use that thought as the beginning of a two-line exchange. Tomorrow, return through a different sentence so that the order of the table cannot do the remembering for you.

Five moves before the compass disappears from past tense in serbian

  1. Translate into English: Juče sam pronašla izgubljeni prsten.
  2. Rebuild in Serbian from memory: “Milan missed the last bus.”
  3. Write the third sentence in Cyrillic without copying it.
  4. Change one detail in Sinoć smo dugo razgovarali na terasi. and keep the sentence grammatical.
  5. Create a new question connected with Da li si pročitao njenu poruku?.

Check the mirror you have made through past tense in serbian

  1. Yesterday I found the lost ring.
  2. Milan je zakasnio na poslednji autobus. / Милан је закаснио на последњи аутобус.
  3. Деца су направила тврђаву од песка.
  4. Answers vary; the changed word must still agree with the rest of the sentence.
  5. Answers vary; keep the question directly connected with the situation.