Yesterday changes more than the clock: Serbian asks whether the person or thing was bio, bila or bilo.

Bio Bila Bilo



Verb To Be in the Singular,  simple past form


SINGULAR
Ja sam bio = I was masculine
Ja sam bila = I was feminine

Ti si bio = You were masc. sg.
Ti si bila = You were fem. sg.

On je bio = He was , obviously masc. sg.
Ona je bila = She was, obviously fem. sg.
Ono je bilo = It was,  neuter, sg.

When you drop the subject (noun or pronoun), you start with the very past tense of the verb to be and this is what we are practising now with this game!

BIO SAM ... BILA SAM ... BILO JE...

Links to Quizlet exercises with BIO BILA BILO


1. Flashcards - https://quizlet.com/230095390/flashcards
2. Learn exercises - https://quizlet.com/230095390/learn
3. Micromatch - https://quizlet.com/230095390/micromatch
4. Gravity -  https://quizlet.com/230095390/gravity

For the full version of the video and more exercises, join my Patreon page. Thanks :)

bio, bila, bilo — the participle agrees

The past tense combines the present forms of biti with an active participle. The participle agrees in gender and number—bio, bila, bilo, bili, bile or bila—so the subject must be clear even when Serbian word order changes. In this particular lesson, use that principle to interpret the examples connected with Serbian Past Tense - Bio Bila or Bilo?.

Model past-tense sentences

Latin scriptCyrillic scriptEnglish
Nisam bio spreman za put.Нисам био спреман за пут.I was not ready for the trip.
Marko je bio kod kuće.Марко је био код куће.Marko was at home.
Ana je bila veoma umorna.Ана је била веома уморна.Ana was very tired.
Dete je bilo u školi.Дете је било у школи.The child was at school.
Mi smo juče bili u gradu.Ми смо јуче били у граду.We were in town yesterday.

The middle column is not a translation but the same sentence in Cyrillic. Compare it with the Latin version, close the English column and check whether both forms trigger the same meaning. Apply that script strategy to the vocabulary in Serbian Past Tense - Bio Bila or Bilo?.

sam + participle

Instead of memorising disconnected words from Serbian Past Tense - Bio Bila or Bilo?, collect a compact pattern you can reuse. Keep the stable part, replace one meaningful detail and listen to how the Serbian ending changes.

Say where you were yesterday

Select the sentence closest to your life and make it true for you. Add a reason or time expression, ask another person a related question, and answer it without reading. For this post, keep your final version connected with the situation in Serbian Past Tense - Bio Bila or Bilo?.

Check your Serbian: Serbian Past Tense - Bio Bila or Bilo?

Test active production: cover the examples, translate each cue and supply two Serbian spellings—Latin and Cyrillic—before opening the answer key. Keep every answer connected with Serbian Past Tense - Bio Bila or Bilo?.

  1. I was not ready for the trip.
  2. Marko was at home.
  3. Ana was very tired.
  4. The child was at school.
  5. We were in town yesterday.

Answers for bio, bila or bilo

  1. Nisam bio spreman za put.
    Нисам био спреман за пут.
  2. Marko je bio kod kuće.
    Марко је био код куће.
  3. Ana je bila veoma umorna.
    Ана је била веома уморна.
  4. Dete je bilo u školi.
    Дете је било у школи.
  5. Mi smo juče bili u gradu.
    Ми смо јуче били у граду.