1. Declension:
Masculine nouns ending in a consonant
Neuter nouns ending in -o or -e
*Note that Masc. nouns in Sg. Acc. is the same as the Genetive if the noun denotes an 'animate concept', like human being or an animal, while the 'inanimate' ones are objects, but also plants and groups of people or animals (like 'a people'= 'narod' or pack (of wolves)= 'čopor')
** All Neuter nouns have the same form for Nominative, Accusative and Vocative, which is really great :o)
*** With Masc. nouns ending in palatal 'j, lj, nj, č, dž, đ, ć, š, ž'
a/ in Sg. Instrumental case it will end in 'em', instead of 'om'
b/ in Sg. Vocative case it will end in 'u' instead of 'e'
| ANIMATE | ANIMATE | non-ANIMATE | non-ANIMATE | |
| Sing. | ||||
| non-palatal ending | palatal | non-palatal | palatal ending | |
| Nom | DOKTOR | PRIJATELJ | BROD | ČEKIĆ |
| Gen | DOKTOR-A | PRIJATELJ-A | BROD-A | ČEKIĆ-A |
| Dative | DOKTOR-U | PRIJATELJ-U | BROD-U | ČEKIĆ-U |
| Acc | DOKTOR-E | PRIJATELJ-A | BROD | ČEKIĆ |
| Voc | DOKTOR-E | PRIJATELJ-U | BROD-E | ČEKIĆ-U |
| Inst | DOKTOR-OM | PRIJATELJ-EM | BROD-OM | ČEKIĆ-EM |
| Loc | DOKTOR-U | PRIJATELJ-U | BROD-U | ČEKIĆ-U |
****The pattern for Plural being the same for all the forms:
| Nom | DOKTOR-I |
| Gen | DOKTOR-A |
| Dative | DOKTOR-IMA |
| Acc | DOKTOR-E |
| Voc | DOKTOR-I |
| Inst | DOKTOR-IMA |
| Loc | DOKTOR-IMA |
*****Elongated Plural can be seen in the majority of one syllable and a good part of two syllable nouns. In the plural they get 'OV' or with palatal ones 'EV':
| Elongated' = longer form | |
| Nom | STAN-ov-I |
| Gen | STAN-ov-A |
| Dative | STAN-ov-IMA |
| Acc | STAN-ov-E |
| Voc | STAN-ov-I |
| Inst | STAN-ov-IMA |
| Loc | STAN-ov-IMA |
******* Sometimes, if the noun ends in -c, -s, -z or -t, there is an ending in -ev (e.g. vicevi (jokes), nosevi (noses) , putevi (roads) )
Well, as you can see, this is just the beginning of the story about Noun Declensions. If you are learning Serbian, I'd like to ask you if you find it easier to learn the language in this 'grammar oriented' fashion, or simply 'by ear'?
The first declension becomes manageable when one noun is followed through its jobs rather than memorised as seven detached forms. Begin with Student ulazi u svetlu učionicu.; its scene gives the new language somewhere concrete to stand.
Carry into the useful contrast in noun declension in serbian 1st
The first declension becomes manageable when one noun is followed through its jobs rather than memorised as seven detached forms. Compare the five examples for meaning before analysing their forms. In Profesorka postavlja studentu teško pitanje., identify the word that carries the central idea; then notice how the remaining words make its person, place or time precise.
Five sentences that belong only to noun declension in serbian 1st
| Latinica | Ćirilica | English |
|---|---|---|
| Student ulazi u svetlu učionicu. | Студент улази у светлу учионицу. | The student enters the bright classroom. |
| Nema studenta na današnjem predavanju. | Нема студента на данашњем предавању. | The student is not at today’s lecture. |
| Profesorka postavlja studentu teško pitanje. | Професорка поставља студенту тешко питање. | The professor asks the student a difficult question. |
| Razgovaramo sa vrednim studentom. | Разговарамо са вредним студентом. | We are talking with a diligent student. |
| Na hodniku pričamo o novom studentu. | На ходнику причамо о новом студенту. | In the corridor we talk about the new student. |
From Nema studenta na današnjem predavanju. to independent speech
Read Na hodniku pričamo o novom studentu. once as a statement with real intention. Next, change the subject or time phrase and repair every form affected by that choice. Finish by linking your new sentence to Nema studenta na današnjem predavanju. in a two-line exchange that could genuinely happen.
A five-step challenge shaped by Profesorka postavlja studentu teško pitanje.
- Give the English meaning of Student ulazi u svetlu učionicu..
- Reconstruct in Serbian: “The student is not at today’s lecture.”
- Write Profesorka postavlja studentu teško pitanje. in Cyrillic.
- Change one grammatical detail in Razgovaramo sa vrednim studentom..
- Ask a natural question that could produce Na hodniku pričamo o novom studentu. as an answer.
Answers waiting beyond Razgovaramo sa vrednim studentom.
- The student enters the bright classroom.
- Nema studenta na današnjem predavanju. / Нема студента на данашњем предавању.
- Професорка поставља студенту тешко питање.
- More than one answer is possible; all connected forms must remain in agreement.
- Questions vary, but the final Serbian sentence must answer them naturally.
A longer route between “Student ulazi u svetlu učionicu.” and “Razgovaramo sa vrednim studentom.”
Write Student ulazi u svetlu učionicu. at the top of a page and place Razgovaramo sa vrednim studentom. at the bottom. Between those exact scenes, add three connected events without borrowing a subject from either line. Read the miniature story backwards; any ending that no longer identifies its noun or speaker needs another look.
Let Razgovaramo sa vrednim studentom. become something remembered yesterday, planned for tomorrow or repeated every week, while Student ulazi u svetlu učionicu. keeps the scene anchored. Time will change the verbs but not the topic, so grammar remains visible without draining the sequence of meaning.