STUDY GUIDE

Learn Serbian. Have fun.

LESSON 52

GRAMMAR
VOCABULARY
PRACTICE
ANSWER KEY

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GRAMMAR
SERBIAN DECLENSIONS AND SENTENCES

In previous lessons you learned how to decline singular feminine nouns and their
accompanying adjectives in all 7 cases and got introduced to the declension
patterns. In this lesson we are going to practice making Serbian sentences.
You learned how to decline several adjective noun pairs like dobra žena (a good
woman), and pametna prijateljica (a smart friend - feminine). In today’s lesson we
are going to learn how to make full sentences incorporating pronouns, verbs, and
vocabulary you have learned.
Let’s learn how to say I want to meet a good woman.
Hteti means to want. The verb hteti is an irregular verb, so it conjugates in a
unique way.

Singular Plural

Person
Serbian English Person Serbian English
1. ja HOĆU I want 1. mi HOĆEMO we want

2. ti HOĆEŠ you want 2. vi HOĆETE you (polite/all)

want
3. on, HOĆE He, she, it
ona, ono wants 3. oni HOĆE they want

Study Guide 2
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Let’s move on. How do you say to meet? Upoznati. Remember, when we
conjugate verbs we have to conjugate all of the verbs in the sentence, not just the
first one. So, how would you say I want to meet? Ja hoću da upoznam. Again, as a
reminder, we say the verb + da + the next verb in order to connect the verbs.
How do you say good woman? Dobra žena. Now we just need to think through
which case the adjective noun pair needs to be declined in. The verb upoznati (to
meet) requires the object to be in the 4th case, and the object is dobra žena
(good woman), which in the 4th case is dobru ženu. How do we decline dobra
žena into the 4th case? For the fourth case feminine singular nouns and adjectives
we add an -u to the adjective stem dobr and we replace the -a of the noun with
an -u, so we get dobru ženu. So now let’s connect the sentence together. When
we do this, we get Ja hoću da upoznam dobru ženu.

She is talking about a smart friend.

How would you say She is talking about a smart friend? (and friend is feminine).
First, we have to identify which case we need to use for the adjective noun pair.
We have a clue here, and that’s the word about. Any time we see the word
about, we know immediately that it requires the 7th case.
How do you say she is talking? Ona priča. How do you say about? O. And how do
you say a smart friend (feminine) in the first case? Pametna prijateljica. How do
we say pametna prijateljica in the 7th case? Pametnoj prijateljici. So, let’s put the
sentence together. Ona priča o pametnoj prijateljici. She is talking about a smart
friend.

They are going with Marija

How would you say They are going with Marija? (and they is feminine). The verb
to go is ići. First, we have to identify which case we need to use for the adjective
noun pair. When you see the word sa (with), it’s a clue that the 6th case is
required, since the 6th case expresses company. Idu is the 3rd person plural
conjugation of the verb ići. When we combine everything together, we get One
idu sa Marijom which means They are going with Marija.

Study Guide 3
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She lives in Serbia
How would you say She lives in Serbia? The verb živeti means to live, the word u
means in, and is in reference to a location, and Serbia is Srbija in Serbian. Srbija
requires the 7th case, because it is being referred to location, which is one of the
meanings the 7th case exists to express. So the correct translation: Ona živi u
Srbiji.

VOCABULARY

Serbian English
dobra good (feminine, adjective)
žena woman or wife
pametna smart (feminine, adjective)
prijateljica friend (feminine, noun)
upoznati to meet
pričati to talk
hteti to want
o about
sa with
u in
živeti to live
Srbija Serbia
ići to go

Study Guide 4
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LESSON EXAMPLES

Serbian English
pričati sa Marijom to talk with Marija
pričati o Mariji to talk about Marija
videti Mariju to see Marija
živeti u Srbiji to live in Serbia

PRACTICE
SENTENCES

# Serbian English Vocabulary

1. Ja hoću da upoznam dobru I want to meet a good woman. hteti – to want
ženu. upoznati – to meet
2. One idu sa Marijom. They are going with Marija. ići – to go

3. Ona živi u Srbiji. She lives in Serbia. živeti – to live

4. Ona priča sa pametnom She is talking with a smart friend. pričati – to talk
prijateljicm.

EXCERCISE #1
Choose the correct form of the verb hteti (to want):
# Serbian English
1. On ________ da ide sa Marijom. hoće/hoćemo/hoću
2. Vi ________ da idete sa Marijom. hoće/hoću/hoćete

3. Ja________ da živimu Srbiji. hoćete/hoćemo/hoću

4. Ti________ da pričaš sa prijateljicom. hoćemo/hoćete/hoćeš
5. Mi________ da kupimo novu torbu. hoćeš/hoćemo/hoćete
6. Oni ________ da idu sa prijateljicom. hoće/hoću/hoćemo

Study Guide 5
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EXCERCISE #2

Choose the correct case of the noun and adjective pair:

1. Ja pričam o _____________.
a) novom prijateljicom
b) novoj prijateljici
c) novu prijateljicu
2. Ona priča sa _______________.
a) nova prijateljica
b) nova prijateljice
c) novom prijateljicom
3. Ja pišem ____________.
a) novoj prijateljici
b) novu prijateljicu
c) novom prijateljicom
4. Ti vidiš _______________.
a) nova prijateljica
b) novu prijateljicu
c) novoj prijateljici
5. Hej, _____________!
a) nova prijateljica
b) novoj prijateljici
c) nova prijateljice
6. _________________ je doktorka.
a) Dobru prijateljicu
b) Dobra prijateljica
c) Dobroj prijateljici

Study Guide 6
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EXERCISE #3

Translate into Serbian:

# English Serbian
1. We love Marija.
2. She wants to live in Serbia.
3. We are talking about a new bag.

4. They are talking with a new friend. (feminine)

5. I want to buy a new bag.
6. You see a good friend. (feminine)
7. He is talking about Serbia.

ANSWER KEY
EXCERCISE #1
(The answer is underlined and in bold)

Choose the correct form of the verb hteti (to want):

# Serbian English
1. On hoće da ide sa Marijom. hoće/hoćemo/hoću
2. Vi hoćete da idete sa Marijom. hoće/hoću/hoćete
3. Ja hoću da živim u Srbiji. hoćete/hoćemo/hoću
4. Ti hoćeš da pričaš sa prijateljicom. hoćemo/hoćete/hoćeš
5. Mi hoćemo da kupimo novu torbu. hoćeš/hoćemo/hoćete
6. Oni hoće da idu sa prijateljicom. hoće/hoću/hoćemo

Study Guide 7
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EXERCISE #2
(The answer is underlined and in bold)

Choose the correct case of the noun and adjective pair:

1. Ja pričam o novoj prijateljici.
a) novom prijateljicom
b) novoj prijateljici
c) novu prijateljicu
2. Ona priča sa novom prijateljicom.
a) nova prijateljica
b) nova prijateljice
c) novom prijateljicom
3. Ja pišem novoj prijateljici.
a) novoj prijateljici
b) novu prijateljicu
c) novom prijateljicom
4. Ti vidiš novu prijateljicu.
a) nova prijateljica
b) novu prijateljicu
c) novoj prijateljici
5. Hej, nova prijateljice!
a) nova prijateljica
b) novoj prijateljici
c) nova prijateljice
6. Nova prijateljica je doktorka.
a) Novu prijateljicu
b) Nova prijateljica
c) Novoj prijateljici

Study Guide 8
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EXCERCISE #3
(The answer is underlined and in bold)

Translate into Serbian:

# English Serbian
1. We love Marija. Mi volimo Mariju.

2. She wants to live in Serbia. Ona hoće da živi u Srbiji.

3. We are talking about a new bag. Mi pričamo o novoj torbi.
4. They are talking with a new friend. (feminine) One pričaju sa novom prijateljicom.
5. I want to buy a new bag. Ja hoću da kupim novu torbu.
6. You see a good friend. (feminine) Ti vidiš novu prijateljicu.
7. He is talking about Serbia. On priča o Srbiji.

Great job! Ćao, drugari!

Study Guide 9
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