Serbian Present Tense: 3rd Person Plural

Serbian present tense is not very difficult for understanding and remembering. The only part that might make certain difficulty to the Serbian learners is the form for 3rd person plural.





Let’s repeat the endings: Singular: -M, -Š, -O, Plural: -MO, -TE, -U/-E/-JU.

These endings are always the same for every verb of Serbian language in present tense whose basic form (infinitive) end with –TI. The only form with variations is 3rd person plural –U/-E/-JU.

But there is a rule that might help us to choose the right ending with a verb we want to conjugate or to use in a sentence.

In 3rd person of Serbian present tense, endings might be –U, -E or –JU. That depends on a 1st  of the verb we want to conjugate. 

If the verb in its 1st person form ends with –im, form in a 3rd person will end with          –E. Verbs: voleti (1st person – volim, 3rd person – vole), videti (1st person – vidim, 3rd person – vide), misliti (1st - person mislim, 3rd person – misle), tražiti (1st person – tražim, 3rd person – traže) etc.

If the verb in its 1st person form ends with –em, form in a 3rd person will end with         –U. Verbs: kazati (1st person – kažem, 3rd person – kažu), piti (1st person – pijem, 3rd person – piju), pasti (1st person – padnem, 3rd person – padnu), jesti (1st person – jedem, 3rd person – jedu), etc. These verbs are most often irregular.

The majority of the verbs end with –JU in a 3rd person plural of present tense. These verbs are mostly regular and end with –am in a 1st person of present tense.

If you have more questions about the Present tense in Serbian language, write to Serbian Teacher Online - kratkeprice@gmail.com
Lidija Novakovic Lagrini


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Serbian Text with Exercises (Intermediate Level)

The text which follows might help you to expand your Serbian vocabulary and to practice making simple sentences in Serbian language. 


Text: Leto u Srbiji

U julu je u Srbiji uvek veoma toplo. Temperatura je nekad 40 stepeni. Mnogi Srbi idu na more, u Grčku, Tursku ili Crnu Goru.
Beograđani imaju Adu. To je rečno ostrvo. Na njemu su plaža, sportski tereni za badmington, tenis, odbojku, golf; mali Zoološki vrt sa domaćim životinjama, itd. Posetioci mogu videti ovce, mačke, pse, labudove... U restoranu mogu naručiti pljeskavice, riblju čorbu ili pasulj. Nije skupo.

U Srbiji se održavaju mnogi festivali. Na primer Exit u Novom Sadu i festival trube u Guči. Na Exitu sviraju moderni tehno, pop, dens bendovi. Na festivalu u Guči sviraju trubački bendovi. Exit je u julu, a festival u Guči je u avgustu.


Exercises 

1. Translate:

Truba
Pljeskavice
Bend
U julu
Na primer
Festival
Rečno ostrvo
Mačke
Ovce
Labudovi
Plaža
Badmington
Mnogi
More
Riblja čorba
Nije skupo

In
August
40 degrees
Temperature
warm
Sport courts
In Serbia
Always
Very
Monte Negro
Citizens of Belgrade
That
Domestic animals
Golf
Zoo
Dogs
May order
Restaurant
Beans
To take place
In Novi Sad
Modern

2. Use the following words/phrases and make simple sentences:

U Novom Sadu
Festival
U avgustu
Pljeskavice
Naručiti
Ada
Domaće životinje
mačke

When you are done, send your solutions to my email and I will check your answers and send you the feedback. 

Learning Serbian is easier with Serbian Teacher Online

Lidija Novakovic Lagrini 


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Past Tense in Serbian Language with Exercises

PAST TENSE – PROŠLO VREME

The tenses in Serbian language might be simple or complex. Past tense belongs to the group of complex tenses, because it is made of two verbs (an auxiliary verb and an ordinary verb).  


When you want to make past tense in Serbian language, you will use:

1) auxilliary verb ’jesam’ (shorter form)
+
2) stem – the first part of the verb (without ending  ’ti’) – gleda(ti), peva(ti), žele(ti) ...
And then you add endings – o, la, lo, li, le, la    (depending of a gender of a word)

Examples:

1)
Ja sam želeo, želela, želelo
Ti si želeo, želela, želelo
On je želeo, ona je želela, ono je želelo

Mi smo želeli, želele, želela
Vi ste želeli, želele, želela
Oni su želeli, one su želele, ona su želela

2)
Ja sam pevao, pevala, pevalo
Ti si pevao, pevala, pevalo
On je pevao, ona je pevala, ono je pevalo

Mi smo pevali, pevale, pevala
Vi ste pevali, pevale, pevala
Oni su pevali, one su pevale, ona su pevala

EXERCISES:

1. Make the past tense from following verbs (napravi prošlo vreme od sledećih glagola): 
Tražiti VratitiČekati Igrati Praviti 

2. Podvuci glagole u prošlom vremenu – Underline verbs in past tense:
 Ja sam spavala do podne.Oni su ostali sa nama.Čekali smo voz.Marko je mislio na Anu.Ti si pričao o vestima.Dečaci su trčali na stadionu.Devojčica je želela lutku.Prijatelji su pili vino.Učitelj je glasno čitao knjigu.Sestre su govorile holandski jezik.Ja sam telefonirala dečku.Uveče u dnevnoj sobi otac je gledao TV.Šetali smo u centru Amsterdama.Vreme je bilo lepo. 



3. Put the sentences into past time, like in example
Oni dolaze u podne. – Oni su dolazili u podne.

Mi razgovaramo o knjizi.
Ana misli na svoju sestru.
Kiša pada.
Marko i Ana sanjaju isti san.
Za doručak imate musli i jogurt.
Telefon zvoni.
Marko spava.
Sunce sija.
Ana vozi dobar auto.
Moj deda dobro kuva.
Da li želiš čašu mleka?
Maja lepo peva.

 Did you get it right ?
Write me to check your answers.

Learn Serbian language easily with
Serbian Teacher Online

Lidija Lagrini 
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Cyrillic for Children 3 - Ћирилица за децу 3 - Ćirilica za decu 3

Да ли Ваше дете жели да научи ћирилицу, али на интернету не може наћи задатке за свој ниво? Ево једног лаког вежбања које га може подстаћи и охрабрити у учењу.

Encourage your child to learn Serbian Cyrillic with Serbian teacher online.

Which Cyrillic letters are missing ?
Која ћирилична слова недостају ?


Уколико желите још вежбања попут овог, пишите ми на kratkeprice@gmail.com . 














Да ли сте погодили ? Пишите ми и проверите своје одговоре.



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Lidija Novakovic Lagrini
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Modal Constructions in Serbian Language

In everyday conversations, we very often use modal constructions.The formula for making modal construction in present tense in Serbian language is:

MODAL VERB + DA + VERB 

Modal verbs in every language are the verbs which usually demand other verb.
Like in English examples: I have to go. You may proceed. I want to talk. We need to stay. etc.

These verbs often have the irregular conjugation. Let’s first see the conjugation of these verbs (and later we’ll see them in a role of modal verbs):




MOĆI (may) – iregular verb
Ja mogu
Ti možeš
On, ona, ono može
Mi možemo
Vi možete
Oni, one, ona mogu

HTETI (want) – this verb is iregular, modal and auxiliary verb
Ja hoću/ću
Ti hoćeš/ćeš
On, ona, ono hoće/će
Mi hoćemo/ćemo
Vi hoćete/ćete
Oni, one, ona hoće/će

MORATI (must, have to) – regular verb

SMETI (to be allowed) – regular verb

ŽELETI (wish) – iregular verb
Ja želim
Ti želiš
On, ona, ono želi
Mi želimo
Vi želite
Oni, one, ona žele

VOLETI (love, like) – the same conjugation as ŽELETI

TREBATI (need) – this verb is special and it is only in use in its modal form:
Ja treba da...
Ti treba da...
On, ona, ono treba da...
Mi treba da...
Vi treba da...
Oni, one, ona treba da...

ZNATI – regular verb

In modal constructions, these verbs are used with the conjunction DA.
Examples:
Ja znam da plivam
Ti treba sada da spavaš.
Mi moramo da učimo.
Vi smete još malo da spavate.
Ona želi da uči nemački jezik.
On može da ide.
Ja ću sada da kuvam.

When you learn how to make  modal constructions in Serbian language, that will be a nice way to say your message in conversation and to improve your communication skills. If you want to learn Serbian modal construction in past tense, write me
kratkeprice@gmail.com

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Lidija Novaković Lagrini
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