Difference between revisions of "Language/Serbian/Grammar/Verbs:-Present-Tense"
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* Create a simple sentence using the present tense with an irregular verb. | * Create a simple sentence using the present tense with an irregular verb. | ||
== Sources == | |||
* [https:// | <span class='maj'></span> | ||
* [https:// | ==Sources== | ||
* [https://serbonika.com/blog/serbian-language/serbian-verbs-present-tense/ 3 Groups of Serbian Verbs: the Present Tense - Serbonika] | |||
* [https://belgradelanguageschool.com/learn-serbian-present-tense-a-complete-guide/ Learn Serbian Present Tense: A Complete Guide | Belgrade ...] | |||
* [https://slev.life/serbian-verbs 86 Top Serbian Verbs: Present & Past Tense Chart] | |||
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Revision as of 13:26, 12 March 2023
As a Serbian language teacher with 20 years of teaching experience, I am delighted to introduce you to the present tense in Serbian verbs. This lesson is intended for complete beginners who are enrolled in the "Complete 0 to A1 Serbian Course". By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form basic sentences using the present tense and express yourself in everyday situations. Are you ready to dive in? Let's get started!
Basic Concepts
The present tense is used to describe actions happening at the moment of speaking, habitual or repeated actions, and general truths. In Serbian, there are two types of verbs, "aorist" and "imperfect" which have a different behavior in the present tense.
"Imperfect" includes the second perfective and imperfective verbs which behave equally, but can be recognized in present tense by the vowel E.
"Aorist" includes the first group of perfective verbs.
The present tense has the following endings in Serbian:
For verbs ending in -ati:
- Ja -am
- Ti -aš
- On/Ona/Ono -a
- Mi -amo
- Vi -ate
- Oni/One/Ona -aju
Example of the verb "govoriti" (to speak)
| Serbian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Govorim | /ɡǒʋorim/ | I speak |
| Govoriš | /ɡǒʋoriʃ/ | You speak |
| Govori | /ɡǒʋori/ | He/she/it speaks |
| Govorimo | /ɡǒʋorimo/ | We speak |
| Govorite | /ɡǒʋorite/ | You speak (plural) |
| Govore | /ɡǒʋore/ | They speak |
Irregular Verbs
Unfortunately, there are many irregular verbs in Serbian. The good news is that most of them fall into a few groups, which makes them easier to memorize.
Here are some examples of irregular verbs that you should pay attention to:
| Serbian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ja ~~sam~~ | /ja sam/ | I am |
| Ti ~~si~~ | /ti si/ | You are |
| On/Ona/Ono ~~je~~ | /on/ona/ono je/ | He/she/it is |
| Mi ~~smo~~ | /mi smo/ | We are |
| Vi ~~ste~~ | /vi ste/ | You are (plural) |
| Oni/One/Ona ~~su~~ | /oni/one/ona su/ | They are |
| Ćutim | /tʃûtîm/ | I am silent |
| Dajem | /dajêm/ | I give |
| Znam | /Ʒnam/ | I know |
| Hoću | /hoću/ | I want |
| Moram | /môram/ | I must |
Usage
In order to make a sentence in Serbian using the present tense, you should take the infinitive form of the verb, remove the "-ti" ending, and add the appropriate tense ending as shown above.
- Ja ~~govorim~~ srpski. - I speak Serbian.
- Ti ~~pišeš~~ pismo. - You write a letter.
- Ona ~~zna~~ francuski jezik. - She knows French.
- Mi ~~pomažemo~~ prijateljima. - We help our friends.
- Vi ~~razumete~~ našu situaciju. - You understand our situation.
- Oni ~~vole~~ sport. - They love sports.
Exceptions
There are a few exceptions to the rules and they require a little extra attention.
Verbs ending in -ći This group of verbs is a bit tricky, as they have a slight change in the stem in some persons. In the third person singular (On/Ona/Ono), the stem change happens as follows:
| Serbian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Hvatam | /hvǎtam/ | I catch |
| Hvataš | /hvǎtaʃ/ | You catch |
| Hvata | /hvǎtaj/ | He/she/it catches |
| Hvatamo | /hvǎtamo/ | We catch |
| Hvatate | /hvǎtate/ | You catch (plural) |
| Hvataju | /hvǎtaʝʊ/ | They catch |
Verbs ending in -jeti or -sti This group of verbs has ometimes an E in the stem. In such cases, the E stays even in other forms of the verb.
| Serbian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Pišem | /piʃêm/ | I write |
| Pišeš | /piʃêʃ/ | You write |
| Piše | /piʃé/ | He/she/it writes |
| Pišemo | /piʃémo/ | We write |
| Pišete | /piʃéte/ | You write (plural) |
| Pišu | /piʃû/ | They write |
Summary
The present tense in Serbian verbs is an important and fundamental part of learning the Serbian language. It allows you to create simple and effective sentences for everyday communication. Remember that there are always some exceptions to the rule, but with practice and patience, you will master them. In the next lesson on the "Complete 0 to A1 Serbian Course", we will learn about the past tense in Serbian verbs.
Exercises
- Conjugate the verb "raditi" (to work) in the present tense.
- Conjugate the verb "videti" (to see) in the present tense.
- Create a simple sentence using the present tense with an irregular verb.
Sources
- 3 Groups of Serbian Verbs: the Present Tense - Serbonika
- Learn Serbian Present Tense: A Complete Guide | Belgrade ...
- 86 Top Serbian Verbs: Present & Past Tense Chart
Videos
Serbian Verbs for Beginners | Present, Future and Past Tense ...
Related Lessons
- Verbs: Future Tense
- How to Use Have
- Adjectives: Comparative and Superlative
- Plural
- Verbs: Participles
- Nouns: Gender and Number
- Future Tense
- Be Polite
- Negation
- Adjectives