STUDY GUIDE

Learn Serbian. Have fun.

LESSON 19

GRAMMAR
VOCABULARY
PRACTICE
ANSWER KEY

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GRAMMAR
ADJECTIVES – INTRODUCTION

Adjectives describe nouns. For example: He is a good doctor. In this sentence the
word good is the adjective because it is describing the noun (doctor).
The word dobar means good. So how might you say He is a good doctor? On je
dobar doktor. Remember, for simple sentences Serbian word order is identical to
English.
One important thing to remember is the role that genders play. What gender is
the word doktor? It’s masculine, and we know that because it ends in a
consonant.

ADJECTIVE –NOUN AGREE MENT

Because adjective describe nouns, they must agree with the noun that they are
describing in gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and in number (singular or
plural). This is called the Adjective – Noun Agreement.
Most masculine nouns end in a consonant and they require masculine adjectives
that end in a consonant too.
Example: On je dobar doktor - He is a good doctor (the adjective dobar must be
masculine because it is referring to a masculine noun - doktor)
Ovo je loš kompjuter - This is a bad computer (the adjective loš must be
masculine because it is referring to a masculine noun - kompjuter)

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Most feminine nouns end in a -a and they require feminine adjectives that end in
a -a too.
This means, if you want to describe a female doctor doktorka, you have to use a
feminine adjective dobra.
Example: Ona je dobra doktorka - She is a good doctor (both the adjective and
the noun are feminine (we see the -a ending). They also need to agree in the
number. Since the noun doktorka is singular, the adjective must be used in its
singular form dobra. Our feminine singular adjective dobra ends in -a too and we
have accomplished the Adjective – Noun Agreement.
Example: Ovo je loša knjiga – This is a bad book (both the adjective and the noun
are feminine singular (we see the -a ending)

Neuter adjectives will have an -o ending or an -e ending. Neuter nouns can be

identified by their e or o ending too, like the noun dete which means child or oko
which means eye.
Examples: dobro dete (good child), loše dete (bad child)

Adjective DOBAR
To form the feminine adjective from a masculine form of the adjective dobar you
need to drop the a to get the adjective base dobr and then add the -a ending to
get the feminine form of the adjective dobra. Same goes for neuter form. To
form the neuter adjective from a masculine form of the adjective dobar you need
to drop the a to get the adjective base dobr and then add the -o ending to get
the neuter form of the adjective dobro.
Examples: dobra knjiga (good book), dobro dete (good child)

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 For some adjectives you do not need to drop the a to get the adjective base.
Adjective LOŠ
To form the feminine adjective from a masculine form of the adjective loš all you
have to do is add the -a ending to get the feminine form of the adjective loša or
to add the -e ending to get the neuter form of the adjective loše.
Examples: loša knjiga (bad book), loše dete (bad child)

Chart
Adjectives

Gender Masculine Feminine Neuter

Ending consonant -a -o/-e

Gender Serbian English

Adjective Noun Adjective Noun

masculine dobar dan good day

feminine dobra doktorka good doctor (female)
neuter dobro dete/oko good child/eye

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ADVERBS - INTORDUCTION

We want to teach a few useful adverbs that you can start using at this point.
Since they belong to the Closed Class Words, they do not reflect gender or
number and they never change. This makes them easy to learn.

Adverbs describe the degree of words that they refer to (usually adjectives or
verbs). And now that we are learning about adjectives it is the right time to learn
about adverbs in Serbian.
A few very commonly used adverbs in Serbian are vrlo meaning very, izuzetno
meaning exceptionally, and puno meaning a lot.

Adverb VRLO
Our first example is the word vrlo. It looks like a neuter form of an adjective
because it ends in -o. A lot of adverbs look this way (they have the -o ending) and
they shouldn’t be confused with adjectives in neuter form.
Example: On je vrlo dobar doktor - He is a very good doctor. Our adverb vrlo is
referring to the masculine adjective dobar and describes the degree of the
adjective meaning very good. Remember, adverbs never change, so the word vrlo
will stay exactly as it is regardless of the gender of the adjective it is associated
with.
Example: Ona je vrlo dobra doktorka - She is a very good doctor Our adverb vrlo
is referring to the feminine adjective dobra, describes the degree of the adjective
and it doesn’t change.
Example: Ono je vrlo dobro dete - It is a very good child Our adverb vrlo is
referring to the neuter adjective dobro, describes the degree of the adjective and
it doesn’t change.
Same is true for all other adverbs

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Same is true for all other adverbs in Serbian. They are very easy to use with
adjectives, verbs or wit other adverbs.

Adverb IZUZETNO
Let’s look the adverb izuzetno which means exceptionally now. It looks like a
neuter form of an adjective because it ends in -o. A lot of adverbs look this way
(they have the -o ending) and they shouldn’t be confused with adjectives in
neuter form.
Example: On je izuzetno dobar doktor - He is an exceptionally good doctor. Our
adverb izuzetno is referring to the masculine adjective dobar and describes the
degree of the adjective meaning exceptionally good. Remember, adverbs never
change, so the adverb izuzetno will stay exactly as it is regardless of the gender of
the adjective it is associated with.
Example: Ona je izuzetno dobra doktorka - She is an exceptionally good doctor
Our adverb izuzetno is referring to the feminine adjective dobra, describes the
degree of the adjective and it doesn’t change.
Example: Ono je izuzetno dobro dete - It is an exceptionally good child Our
adverb izuzetno is referring to the neuter adjective dobro, describes the degree
of the adjective and it doesn’t change.

Adverb puno (a lot) can be used the same as vrlo and izuzetno.

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Chart
Noun Phrase: Noun-Adjective-Adverb

Gender Serbian English

adverb adjective noun adverb adjective noun

masculine vrlo dobar dan very good day

feminine vrlo dobra doktorka very good doctor
neuter vrlo dobro dete/oko very good child/eye

VOCABULARY
ADJECTIVES

Serbian English Gender

dobar good masculine
dobra good feminine
dobro good neuter
lep pretty masculine
lepa pretty feminine
lepo pretty neuter
pametan clever, smart masculine
pametna clever, smart feminine
pametno clever, smart neuter

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ADVERBS

Serbian English Gender

vrlo very /
izuzetno exceptionally /
puno a lot /

LESSON EXAMPLES

Serbian English
Dobar dan Good day
Vrlo dobar dan Very good day
Dobra slikarka Good painter (female painter)
Vrlo dobra slikarka Very good painter (female painter)
Dobro dete Good child
Vrlo dobro dete Very good child
Pametan profesor Clever professor
Pametna devojčica Clever girl
Pametno dete Clever child

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ADDITIONAL VOCABULARY

Serbian English
pridev adjective
prilog adverb
rod gender
muški/ženski/srednji rod masculine/feminine/neuter gender

PRACTICE

SENTENCES

# Serbian English Vocabulary

1. Dobar dan Good day dobar - good (masculine adjective)
dan - day (masculine noun)
2. Ona je zubarka She is a dentist zubarka – dentist (feminine noun)
3. Ona je dobra zubarka She is a good dentist dobra – good (masculine adjective)

4. Ona je vrlo dobra zubarka
5. Ono je pametno dete
6. Beograd je vrlo lep
She is a very good dentist vrlo – very (adverb)
It is a clever child dete - child (neuter noun)
pametno – clever, smart (neuter
adjective)
Belgrade is very pretty Beograd - Belgrade (masculine noun)
lep – pretty (masculine adjective)

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EXCERCISE #1
Guess the gender of the adjectives:
# Serbian Gender
1. lep (example) masculine
2. pametna

3. dobro
4. lepa
5. pametno
6. dobra
7. lepo
8. pametan
9. dobar

EXERCISE #2
Pair up the nouns with the correct adjective:

# adjective # noun pair

1. dobar a slikarka (example) 1c - dobar zubar

2. lepa b konj

3. pametno c zubar
4. lep d dete

EXCERCISE #3
Choose the correct form of the adjective:

# Serbian sentences

1. Maja je __lepa__ (example)

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# Serbian sentences

a) lep
b) lepa
c) lepo
2. On je _____________ doktor
a) dobra
b) dobro
c) dobar
3. Dete je ____________
a) pametno
b) pametna
c) pametan
4. Ona je ____________ slikarka
a) dobar
b) dobro
c) dobra
5. Stiv je______________
a) lep
b) lepo
c) lepa

EXCERCISE #4

Put the words in the correct order to make sentences:

words Serbian sentence

1. vrlo, Ona, lepa, je Ona je vrlo lepa (example)
2. je, On, doktor, dobar, vrlo
3. pametno, Dete, vrlo, je
4. slikarka, je, Maja, dobra, vrlo

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EXCERCISE #5

Change the gender of the following words in the sentence:

Example: On je vrlo dobar slikar – Ona je vrlo dobra slikarka

Masculine Feminine

1. On je vrlo dobar veterinar

2. Ona je puno lepa manekenka

3. On je izuzetno pametan doktor
4. Ona je vrlo pametna profesorka

ANSWER KEY
EXCERCISE #1

(The answer is underlined and in bold)

Guess the gender of the adjectives:
# Serbian Gender
1. lep (example) masculine
2. pametna feminine
3. dobro neuter
4. lepa feminine
5. pametno neuter
6. dobra feminine
7. lepo neuter
8. pametan masculine
9. dobar masculine

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EXCERCISE #2

(The answer is underlined and in bold)

Pair up the nouns with the correct adjective:

# Adjective # Noun Pair

1. dobar a slikarka (example)1c - dobar zubar

2. lepa b konj 2a – lepa slikarka

3. pametno c zubar 3d – pametno dete
4. lep d dete 4b – lep konj

EXCERCISE #3

(The answer is underlined and in bold)

Choose the correct form of the adjective:

# Sentences

1. Maja je __lepa__ (example)

d) lep
e) lepa
f) lepo
2. On je ____dobar___ doktor
d) dobra
e) dobro
f) dobar
3. Dete je __pametno_____
d) pametno
e) pametna
f) pametan
4. Ona je ____dobra___ slikarka
d) dobar
e) dobro

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 # Sentences
f) dobra

5. Stiv je___lep_____
d) lep
e) lepo
f) lepa

EXCERCISE #4

(The answer is underlined and in bold)

Put the words in the correct order to make sentences:

Words
1. vrlo, Ona, lepa, je
2. je, On, doktor, dobar, vrlo
3. pametno, Dete, vrlo, je
4. slikarka, je, Maja, dobra, vrlo
Sentences
Ona je vrlo lepa (example)
On je vrlo dobar doktor
Dete je vrlo pametno
Maja je vrlo dobra slikarka

EXCERCISE #5

(The answer is underlined and in bold)

Change the gender of the following words in the sentence:

Example: On je vrlo dobar slikar – Ona je vrlo dobra slikarka

Masculine Feminine

1. On je vrlo dobar veterinar Ona je vrlo dobra veterinarka

2. On je puno lep maneken Ona je puno lepa manekenka

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 Masculine Feminine

3. On je izuzetno pametan doktor Ona je izuzetno pametna doktorka

4. On je vrlo pametan profesor Ona je vrlo pametna profesorka

Ćao drugari! Great job today!

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