Understanding the Accusative Case in Srpski (Latinica)
In the Serbian language, just like in English, we use different forms of words to show different meanings. One of these forms is called the 'Accusative Case.' It helps us know who is doing what to whom in a sentence.
Important Points
- The accusative case answers the questions 'whom?' or 'what?'
- It is used mostly for nouns and pronouns that are the direct object of a verb.
- In Serbian, the endings of words change in the accusative case.
- Masculine nouns can have different endings based on whether they are animate (alive) or inanimate (not alive).
- Feminine nouns usually add an '-u' at the end.
- Neuter nouns generally stay the same in the accusative case.
Examples
- Vidim dečaka. (dečaka is the accusative form of dečak)
- Imam knjigu. (knjigu is the accusative form of knjiga)
- Kupujem jabuku. (jabuku is the accusative form of jabuka)
Let's break it down a bit more. When you want to say that you see, have, or buy something, you use the accusative case to show what you are seeing, having, or buying. This is called the direct object. For example, in 'I see the boy,' 'the boy' is the direct object because he is the one being seen.
Important Points
- For animate masculine nouns, add '-a' (e.g., dečak becomes dečaka).
- For inanimate masculine nouns, the form does not change (e.g., sto remains sto).
- For feminine nouns, change the ending to '-u' (e.g., knjiga becomes knjigu).
- For neuter nouns, the form stays the same (e.g., dete remains dete).
Examples
- Čitam novine. (novine is the accusative form of novine)
- Gledam film. (film is the accusative form of film)
- Imam psa. (psa is the accusative form of pas)
When learning the accusative case, it's important to practice by looking at sentences and identifying the direct object. This will help you understand how to use the correct forms.