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. 

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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.

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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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Easy and Difficult in Serbian Language

Is it difficult to learn Serbian language ? 

Depends. Some areas are easy and some are difficult; just like in many other languages. If you want to learn easy language, learn Esperanto. But, unfortunately, you probably won't find too many people to talk with. It's a shame, Esperanto is a wonderful language. But, let's get back to the Serbian. 

What is easy?

1) Words order. It's pretty much liberal in comparison to other languages. Just relax and combine the words.
2) Alphabet. We brag sometimes that we have the perfect alphabet, because we accomplished the ideal - one letter for one sound. That is making the reading easier, naturally. 
3) Present tense of regular verbs. There is a grammar formula for this and you may apply it to all regular verbs. To make negative form is equally easy, by adding 'ne' in front of the verb. 

What is of the medium difficulty? 

1) Gender of changeable words. Many languages have this category. In Serbian it's not too difficult to recognize the gender. Either use simple logic, or pay attention to the last letter.
2) Plural. There are few grammar patterns for making plural.
3) Modal constructions. Modal verb and the following verb are always connected by conjunction DA.
4) DA LI questions. You may easily learn this basic type of asking questions.     

  

What is difficult?

1) Case. Changeable words have different endings depending of the role the word takes in a sentence. For example, the word 'majka' (mother) might be 'majke', 'majci', 'majku', 'majko', majkom', and that is only the declension in singular.
If you are a speaker of some other language which recognizes cases (Slavic languages for example), this will not be difficult for you, because you understand the concept. But if you are not...
How to make the difficult easier?
a) memorize propositions, b) memorize typical declensions for all three genders, c) read the theory about different positions words might have in a sentence, it helps.
2) Pronunciation of some letters, I will write them in Cyrillic: Ђ, Џ, Њ, Љ, Ч, Ћ. Sometimes R (Р in Cyrillic). 
How to make this easier, you may read in the article Pronunciation of Serbian Letters . 

Are you a learner of Serbian ? Do you agree with my opinion ? 


it would be valuable to know,
Serbian Teacher online
Lidija Novaković Lagrini

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