Serbian Verb to Go to with Places

Choosing between u and na

Use u with many enclosed spaces, settlements and countries, and use na with many events, open areas and fixed expressions. The crucial contrast is direction versus location: Idem u školu answers kuda? and takes the accusative, while Ja sam u školi answers gde? and takes the locative. Learning each destination together with its preposition is more reliable than translating English “to” word by word.

The verb is the easy part; the preposition is where learners get stuck. Serbian says u školu but na posao, u Beograd but na fakultet, and there is no rule that covers every case. Learn each place together with its preposition, as one unit, exactly the way it appears in these sentences.

Going places, in both scripts

Notice that after u and na the place takes the accusative when you are moving towards it: škola → u školu, posao → na posao. Read both columns and pay attention to the final letter of each place name — that ending is carrying the entire meaning of direction.

Building your own routes

List five places you actually go to in a normal week and say a sentence about each one, choosing u or na as you go. Then add a time expression at the front — svakog jutra, sutra, u ponedeljak — so the sentences start to sound like real conversation rather than drill.

Where are you going?

Translate these sentences into Serbian in both alphabets, and circle every preposition you had to think twice about.

1. I go to school every morning.
2. Tomorrow we are going to Belgrade.
3. She goes to work by bus.
4. I am going to a concert tonight.
5. The children are going to the playground.

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