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Monday, August 12, 2013

Word order in Serbian

Marina Serbian language 365 , Word order in Serbian

Although there's this widespread view (uvreženo mišljenje) that the word order in Serbian is "free", in order to form sentences which sound natural, there are lots of rules to follow... which doesn't make it free at all ! But don't panic! The more you listen to the Serbian language, the easier it'll be for you to make sentences in the most natural way. Learning the set of rules, can only inhibit you if you don't learn / listen to the target language on a daily basis. That's why I'll simply give you lots of examples with different verb patterns through different tenses, but today I'll just focus on the Simple Present affirmative in simple and compound sentences. I'll add the letter N for the most neutral / natural sounding sentence:

One word verb: pevati (to sing)

Present tense OF "I sing / I'm singing."

Subject (S) + predicate (P)

Pevam. N
Ja pevam.
Ti igraš, a ja pevam. N
Ti igraš i ja pevam. N
Komšije su čule kako pevam. N
Priznajem da pevam. N

S + P + direct object (dO)

Pevam pesmu. N
Ja pevam pesmu.
(not neutral, but rather poetic word order would be: Pesmu pevam / Ja pesmu pevam. / pesmu pevam ja - I'll skip adding all these specific / emphasis based but not commonly used word orders in the future and stick with N(neutral) and OK (when I don't add any comment))
Čuješ da pevam pesmu. N
Svi čuju da ja pevam pesmu.

S + P + dO + adverb of time (AoT)

Pevam pesmu svaki dan. N
Svaki dan pevam pesmu. N
Moji prijatelji svaki dan čuju kada pevam pesme. N

S + P + dO + AoT + AoP (adverb of place)

Pevam pesmu svaki dan kod kuće. N
Pevam pesmu kod kuće svaki dan. N
Svaki dan pevam pesmu kod kuće. N
Kod kuće svaki dan pevam pesmu. N
Moje komšije svaki dan čuju kada kod kuće pevam pesmu. N
Moje komšije svaki dan čuju kada pevam pesmu kod kuće. N

Moje komšije igraju uz iks-boks dok ja pevam pesme kod kuće svaki dan. N

Warnings in Serbian :)

Marina Imperatives , Serbian language 365

If you ever wondered how to warn someone in Serbian, let me give you a list of phrases, starting from the most formal ones:
Formal and semi-formal warnings:

Dozvoli da te upozorim da ne + present (2nd person Sg. - with 2nd p. Pl, start with "Dozvolite da Vas upozorim...)
Ono što ja ne bih nikako uradila je da + present (1st person Sg.)
Ako me pitaš za savet, nikako nemoj da + present (2nd person Sg. - with 2nd p. Pl, start with "Ako me pitate za savet, nikako nemojTE da...)

Informal warnings:

Pazi se + noun in the Genitive case or gerund (verbal nouns ending in -nje, again in Gen.)
Nemoj da + present (2nd person Sg or Pl)
Šta god da radiš, nikako nemoj da + present (2nd person Sg. - with 2nd p. Pl, start with Šta god da radite, nikako nemojTE da...)

If you need all these phrases written both in the Cyrillic and Latin script, pronounced slowly, check Serbian phrases link.

Case Practice - the Dative with Adjectives

Marina Dative in Serbian , Listening comprehension

In order to the following exercise easily, I'd suggest you flick through the previous posts on the topic of the Dative case in Serbian:

Now that you feel more confident about the form and usage, let's try to do two exercises:

try to figure out how adjectives agree with a noun in Dative (what are the endings)
you can listen to the instructions and repeat the same phrases only with the pronouns in this case (Sg. njemu -mu (masc), njoj-joj (fem.) or Pl. njima-im)

In Novi Sad Tonight ? Don't Miss it!

Marina local events , Novi Sad

If you happen to be visiting Serbia and Novi Sad, don't miss this magnificent event, taking place tonight:

You can find all the info on this link and do the following reading comprehension exercise:

What kind of event is it ?
Who are braća Teofilović ?
When is the concert taking place ?
Where is it taking place ?
How much does the ticket cost ?
Where and how can you buy tickets ? Can you buy them online ?
Is it too late for you to buy them ?
How can you check if the tickets are still being sold ?

Serbian Speaking Practice

Marina Serbian language 365 , Serbian phrases

One of my favourite parts of a language lesson is when my students can speak in Serbian on their own. That's why I enjoy creating digital teaching materials to help them with visual prompts. Here comes one of my recent videos in the speaking practice series covering the topic of weather.

If you are not sure what vocabulary to use, here comes the list of the previous posts with:

So you can feel more confident to speak in Serbian while watching the video:

As you can see in the background there's a photo of a season, so you can make more complicated sentences like:

U jesen obično pada kiša i tmurno je.
U proleće retko pada sneg (because you can see the snow slide against the spring background). Obično je sunčano i ponekad je kišovito.

Serbian for Children - Numbers

Marina easy Serbian , numbers in serbian

The best way for kids to learn Serbian is through numerous songs, poems and chants. That's why I'll dedicate one blog post a week to this topic. Let's start with numbers in Serbian and this beautiful song by the famous Branko Kockica:

Don't forget to do this exercise based on the song lyrics!

Collocation with "videti" in Serbian

Marina common phrases , Serbian collocations

While there are so many useful tools to check your spelling / grammar / vocabulary / idioms / pronunciation ... for the English language, there are just a few such tools for Serbian (I listed them in the sidebar to the right and I (ir)regularly send them to all the Serbian Activator subscribers).

One of the most useful things a student need, starting from the pre-intermediate level is to know verb collocations. That's why I'll try to connect the verbs and nouns from the previous posts and write a list of the most common collocations for the verb "to see" (videti):

Verbs and phrases commonly used after "to see"

vidim kako ... (np. vidi kako se to radi)
vidimo se ponovo
vidi taj izraz
vidi da li ima ... (np. vidi da li ima hleba)
vidi šta ... (np. vidi šta nam treba)
vidi kako mi stoji (for example when you're trying sth. on, this phrase means "look how / if it suits=fits me" )

Words before "to see"

mogu videti / da vidim
samo vidi
želim da vidim
volim da vidim
dođi da vidiš
zapanjio bi se da vidiš...
drago mi je da vas vidim

Adverbs collocated with "to see"

+ (ne)jasno (if a + is before the word, it means that the verb "videti" comes before that word. For example : videti + (ne)jasno = + (ne)jasno)
jedva +
odjednom + (commonly in the past tense: odjednom sam video)
tačno +
+ kristalno-jasno
slabo +

Do you have any other ideas which "videti" collocations are worth adding to the list ?

Serbian Adjectives in Accusative

Marina Accusative in Serbian , Accusative of Adjectives

Now that you've practised a set of verbs which require the Accusative case, in different tenses and with different nouns ( which you have seen / broken / bought /sold / fixed / turned off / turned on etc.), it's time you did the same exercise, but this time with adjectives.

The topic of adjectives in Serbian is always tricky as they not only agree with the number and gender of the noun, but also with its case. While in some cases, like in the Accusative for example, the case endings are the same for the nouns and adjectives, it's not always that easy ( e.g. in the Genitive case).

That's why we'll stick to the Accusative case today, because we've already practised it and it's easy!
Let's watch the same video and add the following adjectives in front of each noun :

MODERAN = modern
JEFTIN = cheap
SKUP = expensive
VELIKI = big
MALI = small
NOVI = new
STARI = old
DOBAR = good

For example:

Kupila sam veliki televizor i malU peglU.
Htela sam da kupim i modernE lampE, ali bile su previše skupE!
Na kraju sam kupila jeftinE tosterE. Jedan za mene a jedan za mamu.

As you can see, the Accusative form of the adjectives with nouns denoting inanimate objects is pretty straightforward - it simply agrees with the noun adding the final endings both for the Sg. and Pl. in the same manner as the noun. Let me share with you an exercise based on this blog post and the video (click on the question mark to get a hint which adjective to use).

Serbian Idioms with "Videti"

Marina common phrases , parts of speech

I'm sure you've thoroughly practised the verb "videti" with the video lesson with gadgets and appliances and the "conjugator video". Now it's time to learn to recognize different parts of speech with this verb through the list of common phrases and idioms in Serbian :

Verb form: VIDETI

Ooo, koga to vidim ! = expressing surprise when you see someone (As I leve and breathe!; Well, what do you know; Lo and behold)
Imaš šta da vidiš! = something worth seeing ( A sight for sore eyes, Something to look at; A million-dollar look)
Sad GA vidiš, sad GA ne vidiš = a fly-by-night (an unreliable, dishonest person) / now you see it, now you don't (a magician's trick)
Što video, ne video = to turn a blind eye on sth.; mum's the word (to pretend not to have seen anything)

Noun form: VID (sight), VIDelo (sight / light), VIDik (view/perspective)

Izneti (nešto) na videlo = to bring something to light (to reveal); to bring soemthing into the open
Izgubiti (nešto) iz vida = to lose sight of something
Imati (nešto) u vidu = to bear in mind, to take into account, to keep sight of something
Nestati sa vidika = to recede from view / to vanish into thin air / to fade away

Gerund or "glagolska imenica" : VIĐENJE (ending in -nje, which corresponds with English -ing)

Do (skorog) viđenja = so long (a farewell)
Poznavati nekog iz viđenja = to know someone by sight / to have a nodding acquaintance with someone

Past Participle or Trpni glagolski pridev (adjective): VIĐEN (ending in -n or -t, which corresponds with English -ed or PP form of the verb)

Rado viđen = popular, in high favour

Notice the use of this phrase "rado viđen" + "gost" at the very beginning of the famous song "Jabuke i Vino":

How to Use the Serbian Conjugator ?

Marina exercises in Serbian , Learn Serbian online

If you've practised the Accusative form of the nouns and pronouns with the video in the previous post, it's time to expand your confidence onto the verbs which require a noun/pronoun in this case. With all the listed nouns (TV, pegla, mobilni telefon, mašina za veš ...), the following verbs, properly conjugated, will make sense:

videti (to see) Present Tense conjugations: Sg: vidIM, vidIŠ, vidI Pl: vidIMO, vidITE, vidE Past Tense : Sg: videO, videLA, videLO Pl: videLI, videLE, videLA
gledati (to watch) gledAM, gledAŠ, gledA - gledAMO, gledATE, gledAJU ( for the following verbs you'll see only: PRESENT Sg: -m/-š/- Pl: -mo / -te / -ju and for the PAST Sg. -o/-la/-lo Pl. -li/-le/-la )
imati (to have) Sg: -m/-š/- Pl: -mo / -te / -ju (imaJU) Past: Sg. -o/-la/-lo Pl. -li/-le/-la
koristiti (to use) Sg: -m/-š/- Pl: -mo / -te / -e (koristE) Past: Sg. -o/-la/-lo Pl. -li/-le/-la
raditi (to work) Sg: -m/-š/- Pl: -mo / -te / -e (rade) Past: Sg. -o/-la/-lo Pl. -li/-le/-la
popravljati (to fix) Sg: -m/-š/- Pl: -mo / -te / -ju (popravljaju) Past: Sg. -o/-la/-lo Pl. -li/-le/-la
uključiti (to turn on) Sg: -m/-š/- Pl: -mo / -te / -e (uključe) Past: Sg. -o/-la/-lo Pl. -li/-le/-la
isključiti (to turn off) Sg: -m/-š/- Pl: -mo / -te / -e (isključe) Past: Sg. -o/-la/-lo Pl. -li/-le/-la
kupiti (to buy) Sg: -m/-š/- Pl: -mo / -te / -e (kupe) Past: Sg. -o/-la/-lo Pl. -li/-le/-la
prodati (to sell) Sg: -m/-š/- Pl: -mo / -te / -e (prodate) Past: Sg. -o/-la/-lo Pl. -li/-le/-la
vratiti (to return) Sg: -m/-š/- Pl: -mo / -te / -e (vrate) Past: Sg. -o/-la/-lo Pl. -li/-le/-la
(po)kvariti se (to break down) Sg: -m/-š/- Pl: -mo / -te / -e (pokvare) Past: Sg. -o/-la/-lo Pl. -li/-le/-la
baciti (to throw away) Sg: -m/-š/- Pl: -mo / -te / -e (bace) Past: Sg. -o/-la/-lo Pl. -li/-le/-la

If you are a beginner in Serbian, let's focus on the present simple tense and practise conjugating out loud with the:

Serbian conjugator
Video lesson about gadgets and appliances you use or don't use

Present tense examples:

Imam telefon, ali GA ne gledam.
Moj brat ima mašinu za sudove i često JE koristi.

If you are at an intermediate level, I guess that dealing with the past simple won't be much of the problem. The idea of this blog post is to encourage you to become more fluent and confident. That's why you can simply learn/revise past simple in Serbian and make a few similar sentences like in the example:

Past tense examples:

Kupili smo mobilni telefon i čim smo GA uključili, odmah se pokvario.
Moj sin je popravio peglu i kada sam videla kako dobro radi bacila sam JE.

Serbian Nouns and Pronouns in Accusative

Marina Accusative in Serbian , Free lessons of Serbian

Today we're going to do an exercise with singular nouns describing objects, their grammatical gender and its pronouns in the Accusative case. In this exercise you'll see the following appliances and gadgets:

televizor
mikser
daljinski (upravljač)
mobilni (telefon)
telefon
kompjuter
frižider
toster
mašina za veš
mašina za pranje veša
lampa

The nouns in blue are masculine and the red ones are feminine, so don't forget to make the following changes:

step TO SEE + NOUN: Vidim / Ne vidim televizor (masculine) /odelo (neuter) /lampU (feminine)
step TO SEE + corresponding PRONOUN: Vidim / Ne vidim ga / je (short form for "him (ga = njega) / her (je=nju)")
step: look around yourself and say what you can see/can't see (use only singular and pay attention that the neuter nouns, like "odelo" behaves the same as the nouns in masc.)

Serbian Phrases Course

Marina cyrillic , free video lessons of Serbian

I think it's been high time I resumed our regular, day-by-day postings with video lessons of the Serbian language. As usual, I'll do my best to help you in the most practical way with the interactive videos, like this one:

This is one of 65 lessons with more than 4.5 hours of content from the course Serbian Phrases, which has finally been completed. All the videos with slow pronunciation are based on phrase lists both in the Serbian Cyrillic and Latin script! There's also an ever-growing number of additional video exercises, like the one above. For all of you who'd like to buy the course and know how to say 'n' write "FaithfulFollower" in Serbian, will get a significant discount if they type it in the coupon code box :) Enjoy it!

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