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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Basic phrases about playing a sport in Serbian


What do you do in your free time?
---> Šta radiš u slobodno vreme?
What sport do you play in your free time?
---> Kojim se sportom baviš u slobodno vreme?
What do you like doing in your free time?
---> Šta voliš da radiš u slobodno vreme?

I play football.
---> Igram fudbal.
I don't play golf, but I play basketball.
---> Ne igram golf već košarku.
I go swimming and fishing.
---> Idem na plivanje i pecanje.

What about you? - A ti?

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Reflexive pronoun 'se' in Serbian

Here is the news from my town, followed by the video. I deleted all 'se' words. Try to guess where they are missing and then check your answers at the news source link.

U nesreći koja pre 4 dana desila u centru Novog Sada nekoliko lica je zadobilo lakše povrede, a na YouTube-u se ubrzo nakon toga našao video snimak ove nezgode. Kako navode svedoci, Fiat Punto sa novosadskim registarskim tablicama kretao ulicom Jovana Subotića iz pravca Trga Marije Trandafil ka centru. Prešao je na suprotnu stranu kolovoza, okrznuo sa jednim gradskim autobusom i Opel Corsom, te direktno sudario da drugim autobusom GSP-a odmah iza Corse. (4 missing 'se')

Monday, December 13, 2010

Verb Prefixes in Serbian

I'm sure that many eager learners of Serbian are often puzzled by the meaning of prefixes and suffixes which are added to verbs in our language. While English uses different tense aspects (progressive, perfective) and phrasal verbs to express the same meaning, we tend to express aspect at the lexical level - that's why numerous prefixes and suffixes!

I think it's useless to puzzle students by bombarding them with numerous prefixes with one verb stem e.g. izaći, ući, otići, prići, doći etc. especially in one lesson. I think it's more effective to introduce one prefix, with common meaning, applied to the verbs with which students are already familiar with.

That's why I'll introduce the prefix "do-" = similar to English 'to'

1. meaning towards someone or something, or some finishing phase

trčati (run) - dotrčati (run to)
Sima trči (Sima is running)
Sima je trčao (Sima was running)
Sima je dotrčao (Sima has run (to me or some place))

šetati (walk) - došetati (walk to)
Ja šetam (I am walking/I walk)
Ja sam šetala (I was walking)
Došetala sam se do parka (I've walked to the park)
Došetaću se do tebe. (I'll walk to your place)

2. meaning 'additional'

pisati (write) - dopisati (add to what you've written)
Pišem knjigu (I'm writing a book)
Pisao sam pismo. (I was writing a letter)
Dopisao sam komentar (I added a comment)
Dopisao sam još jednu rečenicu (I've written one more sentence)

zidati (build) - dozidati (build some more/build up)
Zidali smo kuću pet godina (we were/have been building the house for five years)
Dozidali smo jednu sobu (we built up one more room)

dati (give) - dodati (add)
Dali su nam tortu (they gave us a cake)
Dodali smo malo šećera(we added a little sugar)

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Verb Conjugations in Serbian: To Love

VOLETI conjugations in the Present Simple:

Ja volim
Ti voliš
On, ona, ono voli

Mi volimo
Vi volite
Oni, one, ona vole

--- you can easily omit the personal pronoun:

Koju boju voliš? Volim žutu, ali ne volim crnu.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Present Simple Conjugation in Serbian

Verb ''nositi''
= to wear + nouns
(this time Feminine only )

******with Fem. Plural nouns:
CIPELE =shoes
PANTALONE = trousers
FARMERKE = jeans
ČARAPE = socks

****** with Fem. Singular nouns:
HALJINA = dress
MAJICA = T-shirt
KOŠULJA = shirt
SUKNJA = dress

Practise: NOSIM... / NE NOSIM.... (I wear/I don't wear)

Šta nosiš kada ideš na posao ?
= What do you wear when you go to work ?

Šta nosiš kada ideš u školu ?
= What do you wear when you go to school ?



You can download the slides from www.lewinow.com

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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