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Showing posts with label common phrases. Show all posts
Showing posts with label common phrases. Show all posts

Friday, September 30, 2022

Question Words - Many Faces of Who

Are the words "koga, kome & kim" the same as who?

In the previous post about Question words in Serbian, I covered just the main bunch of questions, such as ko, šta, gde, kada, zašto, kako, čiji, koliko. Today we are focusing only on WHO and its many forms. To understand and start using them correctly, you'll need to practice them in context first.

Serbian WHO through cases

  1. KO  - who
  2. KOGA - of whom
  3. KOME - to whom
  4. KOGA - whom
  5. SA KIM - with whom
  6. O KOME - about whom
The question words in Serbian take the case endings similar to adjectives, so once you learn how adjectives change through cases, this would come natural. Also, you can learn the question forms first  they will help you when start learning about how adjectives change through cases. However, when learning Serbian, always start from drilling, playing language games and having fun, and only later try to dwell on grammar, when drilling through Quizlet games helps you achieve  fluency :) 

Translation of Various Who Forms

Explanation


  • KO UČI SRPSKI? - Who is learning Serbian?
  • KO JE UČIO SRPSKI? - Who was learning Serbian?
  • KO ĆE UČITI SRPSKI? - Who will learn Serbian?
  • KOGA SE PLAŠIŠ? - Who are you afraid of?
  • KOGA SMO SE PLAŠILI? - Who were we afraid of?
  • KOGA ĆEMO SE PLAŠITI? - Who will we be afraid of?
  • KOME ODGOVARATE? - Who are you answering to?
  • KOME SMO ODGOVORILI? - Who did we answer to?
  • KOME ĆEMO ODGOVORITI? - Who will we answer?
  • KOGA VIDIŠ? -Who do you see?
  • KOGA STE VIDELI? - Who did you see?
  • KOGA ĆETE VIDETI? - Who will you see?
  • SA KIM IDEŠ NA MORE? - Who are you going to the seaside with?
  • SA KIM SI IŠAO NA MORE? - Who did you go / were you going to the seaside?
  • SA KIM ĆEŠ IĆI NA MORE? - Who will you go / will you be going to the seaside with?
  • O KOME PRIČAŠ? - Who are you talking about?
  • O KOME SI PRIČALA? - Who did you talk / were you talking about?
  • O KOME ĆEŠ PRIČATI?  - Who will you talk about?

Exercises with Who: ko - koga - kome - sa kim - o kome

MATCH igrica

FLASHCARDS

TEST

Video Lesson with Who in Serbian 


Additional Exercises with All the Question words as well as Who Forms

MATCH igrica

FLASHCARDS

TEST

Friday, June 09, 2017

Common Phrases in Serbian - Destinacija broj jedan

Today we are learning two simple phrases in Serbian:


For the pronunciation and additional exercises, check out my Patreon blog :)

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Hteti - Will or Want?

One of the frequent questions is how to translate Serbian "hteti" into English?

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Hteti - Will or Want?

The simple truth is that the verb "hteti" can be translated into English in both ways, either will or want to, or even wish. The best way is to learn through some examples.

Želeti vs. Hteti

  1. Hoćeš li mi  pomoći? Will you help me? (pure future ) - Hoću! Pomoći ću ti (Yes, I'll help you)
  2. Hoćeš li prestati već jednom? Will you stop it once and for all? - Neću! (I won't)
  3. Hoćeš li da mi pomogneš? Do you want to help me? (a bit stronger than "want") - Naravno! Of course! Svakako! Sure! 
  4. Da li hoćeš da idemo u Beograd? Do you want us to go to Belgrade?
  5. Želiš li da mi pomogneš? Do you wish/want to help me? (a bit more like "wish" than "want") - Kako da ne! Sure!
  6. Šta želiš da ti kupim u Beogradu? What do you want me to buy you in Belgrade?

Accepting and Declining 


The other set of useful phrases which we can learn from is how to best respond to questions starting with "Will you?" or "Do you want to....?"

Prihvatanje/potvrđivanje = Accepting
  • Naravno
  • Svakako
  • Nema problema
  • Kako da ne
  • Hoću (if the question starts with Hoćeš li...?)
  • Želim (if the question starts with Želiš li...?)
  • Da
  • Jašta (colloquial + archaic, but fun)
Odbijanje = Declining

  • Nema šanse (no way)
  • Nikako (no way)
  • Neću / Ne želim
  • Ne, hvala (no, thanks)
  • Jok (colloquial + archaic, but fun)


Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Serbian Phrases: Don't Argue with Me

Would it be funny for you to hear a phrase "Don't argue with mine!", whatever that might mean?

Here comes a short clip with a similar phrase, which is obviously wrong and make people laugh (together with a specific pronunciation of  Mr. Šojić's "ć" in "ćao" :)



- Nemaš! Šta moliš? Imaš (li) kod sebe 350 Evra?
- Ma gospodine Šojiću...
- Ma, ćao! Nemaš! Ćao! Ne raspravljaj se sa mene! Ne raspravljaj se!

Don't argue with me!

The correct Serbian phrase: "Don't argue with me" would be as follows:

- Ne raspravljaj se sa mnom! (not "sa mene"=)

The verb "to argue" is always used with "se" form: raspravljati se. A few synonyms would be:
svađati se and prepirati se. (Ne svađaj se sa mnom / Ne prepiri se sa mnom). 

 Instrumental of Serbian Pronouns

The preposition "with" requires the Instrumental  form of the pronoun so you can use the mentioned verbs with the following pronouns as well:
  • with me = sa mnom
  • with you = sa tobom
  • with him/it = sa njim
  • with her = sa njom
  • with us = sa nama
  • with you = sa vama / Vama
  • with them = sa njima
If you would like to get all my video lessons with explanations in English, translations and additional exercises like the ones above, in the meaningful order, consider joining me on Patreon. HVALA!

Monday, January 09, 2017

Most Frequent Phrases in Serbian - I Need

I need = Treba mi


I guess one of the most needed verbs in a language must be the verb to need = trebati :) It is a really handy word in Serbian, because of the two following reasons:

Firstly, this verb doesn't conjugate, because in its simplest meaning "I need (something)" we actually use "Treba mi" where "mi" means "to me". If you want to say "You need", it will be "Treba Vam" (formal version) or "Treba ti" (informal version). Therefore, you'll simply change the pronoun as follows:

  • TREBA mi hamburger
  • TREBA ti pica 
  • TREBA mu vino (to him / it = mu)
  • TREBA joj muzika (to her = joj)
  • TREBA  nam restoran (to us =nam)
  • TREBA vam /Vam burek (to you - You = vam/Vam)
  • TREBA im mleko (to them = im)


Secondly, because in Serbian this phrase sounds like the passive in deep structure, the noun always takes a subject case, which is Nominative. (A hamburger is needed to/by me = Treba mi hamburger). Therefore, you don't need to change its form, i.e. no declension :) Lovely! Take a look at the previous examples and the words which follow "Treba ... " phrase. No cases, at all:


  1. hamburger - a hamburger
  2. pica - a pizza
  3. vino - a wine
  4. muzika - music
  5. restoran - a restaurant
  6. burek - burek (a special kind of pie)
  7. mleko - milk
Now, let's practice the pronunciation of this useful phrase together:



1. Šta ti treba? = What do you need?
2. Šta Vam treba? = What do You need? (formal one)
3. Treba mi = I need
4. Ne treba mi = I don't need


Tomorrow, we'll be doing some exercises connected with this video lesson and recording our own XO game :D



Advanced Serbian - Srpski kao drugi jezik

Gde je ključ? Где је кључ? - Učimo srpski sa Marinom
Gde je ključ? ...
Where is the Key?-...
By Marina Petrović
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