Understanding Present Tense in Srpski (latinica)
The present tense in Srpski (latinica) is used to talk about actions that are happening right now or actions that happen regularly. It is one of the basic tenses you will use when speaking or writing in Serbian.
Important Points
- Present tense is used for actions happening at the moment.
- It is also used for habitual actions or routines.
- The verb endings change depending on the subject (I, you, he/she/it, we, you all, they).
- Regular verbs follow a pattern based on the infinitive form.
- Irregular verbs may not follow the regular pattern and need to be memorized.
Forming the Present Tense
To form the present tense in Serbian, you need to know the infinitive form of the verb. The verb endings change depending on who is doing the action. Let's look at how to change the endings for regular verbs.
Examples
- Ja učim sada. (I am studying now.)
- Oni igraju fudbal svake subote. (They play football every Saturday.)
- Mi kuvamo večeru. (We are cooking dinner.)
Important Points
- For 'ja' (I), add '-m' to the verb stem.
- For 'ti' (you), add '-š'.
- For 'on/ona/ono' (he/she/it), add '-'.
- For 'mi' (we), add '-mo'.
- For 'vi' (you all), add '-te'.
- For 'oni/one/ona' (they), add '-ju' or '-e'.
Examples of Regular Verbs
Examples
- Ja radim. (I work.)
- Ti govoriš. (You speak.)
- Ona piše. (She writes.)
Some verbs do not follow the regular pattern and must be memorized. These are called irregular verbs. They are common in many languages, including Serbian.
Examples
- Ja idem u školu. (I go to school.)
- On jede jabuku. (He eats an apple.)
- Mi hoćemo sladoled. (We want ice cream.)