English joins with a single word. Serbian distributes the work of and across four:
и adds — father and mother, two things of the same kind. а juxtaposes and mildly contrasts — "I am from Niš, and you?", "the room is small but bright." It is weaker than али (but) and has no clean English equivalent; it marks that the second item stands against the first. па sequences — "I got up and then went out." It carries consequence and time. те connects in a bookish, slightly formal register — common in written and legal Serbian, rarer in speech.
и also has a second life as a particle meaning also, too, even: дошао је и Марко — "Marko came too." Doubled, и … и gives "both … and"; its negative counterpart ни … ни gives "neither … nor."
Key Takeaways
- и = and (additive); also too, even when standing before a single word - а = and / whereas / but (contrastive juxtaposition), always preceded by a comma - али = but (true adversative, stronger than а) - па = and then, and so (sequence and consequence) - те = and (formal, connective) - и … и = both … and; ни … ни = neither … nor - ни requires the verb to stay negative: Нема ни хлеба ни млека
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
3.1a Отац father и and мајка mother 3.1b Otac (O-tats) father i (ee) and majka (MY-ka) mother
3.2a Хлеб bread и and со salt 3.2b Hleb (hleb) bread i (ee) and so (soh) salt
3.3a Читам I-read и and пишем I-write 3.3b Čitam (CHEE-tam) I-read i (ee) and pišem (PEE-shem) I-write
3.4a Ја I сам am из from Београда Belgrade-GEN а and он he је is из from Ниша Niš-GEN 3.4b Ja (yah) I sam (sahm) am iz (eez) from Beograda (be-O-gra-da) Belgrade-GEN a (ah) and on (on) he je (yeh) is iz (eez) from Niša (NEE-sha) Niš-GEN
3.5a Дошао came-MASC је is и also Марко Marko 3.5b Došao (DO-shao) came-MASC je (yeh) is i (ee) also Marko (MAR-ko) Marko
3.6a И both он he и and она she раде work-3PL 3.6b I (ee) both on (on) he i (ee) and ona (O-na) she rade (RA-de) work-3PL
3.7a Устао got-up-MASC сам I-am па and-then сам I-am отишао went-MASC на to посао work-ACC 3.7b Ustao (OOS-tao) got-up-MASC sam (sahm) I-am pa (pah) and-then sam (sahm) I-am otišao (o-TEE-shao) went-MASC na (nah) to posao (PO-sao) work-ACC
3.8a Нема there-is-not ни neither хлеба bread-GEN ни nor млека milk-GEN 3.8b Nema (NE-ma) there-is-not ni (nee) neither hleba (HLE-ba) bread-GEN ni (nee) nor mleka (MLE-ka) milk-GEN
3.9a Соба room је is мала small-FEM а but светла bright-FEM 3.9b Soba (SO-ba) room je (yeh) is mala (MA-la) small-FEM a (ah) but svetla (SVET-la) bright-FEM
3.10a И both деца children и and родитељи parents су are дошли come-PL 3.10b I (ee) both deca (DE-tsa) children i (ee) and roditelji (ro-DEE-te-lyee) parents su (soo) are došli (DOSH-lee) come-PL
3.11a Пиши write-IMP и and читај read-IMP сваки every дан day 3.11b Piši (PEE-shee) write-IMP i (ee) and čitaj (CHEE-tie) read-IMP svaki (SVA-kee) every dan (dahn) day
3.12a Он he ради works а while ја I се REFL одмарам rest 3.12b On (on) he radi (RA-dee) works a (ah) while ja (yah) I se (seh) REFL odmaram (od-MA-ram) rest
3.13a Купила bought-FEM је is хлеб bread млеко milk и and сир cheese 3.13b Kupila (KOO-pee-la) bought-FEM je (yeh) is hleb (hleb) bread mleko (MLE-ko) milk i (ee) and sir (seer) cheese
3.14a Отишли went-PL смо we-are у to град town те and смо we-are купили bought-PL карте tickets-ACC 3.14b Otišli (o-TEESH-lee) went-PL smo (smo) we-are u (oo) to grad (grahd) town te (teh) and smo (smo) we-are kupili (KOO-pee-lee) bought-PL karte (KAR-te) tickets-ACC
3.15a Ни nor ја I не not знам know 3.15b Ni (nee) nor ja (yah) I ne (neh) not znam (znahm) know
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
3.1 Отац и мајка. "Father and mother."
3.2 Хлеб и со. "Bread and salt."
3.3 Читам и пишем. "I read and write."
3.4 Ја сам из Београда, а он је из Ниша. "I'm from Belgrade, and he's from Niš."
3.5 Дошао је и Марко. "Marko came too."
3.6 И он и она раде. "Both he and she work."
3.7 Устао сам, па сам отишао на посао. "I got up and then went off to work."
3.8 Нема ни хлеба ни млека. "There's neither bread nor milk."
3.9 Соба је мала, а светла. "The room is small but bright."
3.10 И деца и родитељи су дошли. "Both the children and the parents came."
3.11 Пиши и читај сваки дан. "Write and read every day."
3.12 Он ради, а ја се одмарам. "He works while I rest."
3.13 Купила је хлеб, млеко и сир. "She bought bread, milk and cheese."
3.14 Отишли смо у град те смо купили карте. "We went into town and bought the tickets."
3.15 Ни ја не знам. "I don't know either."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
3.1 Отац и мајка.
3.2 Хлеб и со.
3.3 Читам и пишем.
3.4 Ја сам из Београда, а он је из Ниша.
3.5 Дошао је и Марко.
3.6 И он и она раде.
3.7 Устао сам, па сам отишао на посао.
3.8 Нема ни хлеба ни млека.
3.9 Соба је мала, а светла.
3.10 И деца и родитељи су дошли.
3.11 Пиши и читај сваки дан.
3.12 Он ради, а ја се одмарам.
3.13 Купила је хлеб, млеко и сир.
3.14 Отишли смо у град те смо купили карте.
3.15 Ни ја не знам.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
These are the rules for и and its companions.
1. и — addition. Joins words, phrases and clauses of equal weight: отац и мајка, читам и пишем, дошли су и остали су до вечери. In a list, Serbian puts commas between the items and и only before the last: хлеб, млеко и сир. There is no serial comma before и.
2. и — the particle. Standing immediately before a single word rather than between two, и means also, too, even:
Дошао је и Марко. — "Marko came too." И он то зна. — "Even he knows that." Имам и књигу и оловку. — "I have both a book and a pencil."
Position determines meaning. И Марко је дошао and Дошао је и Марко both put the focus on Marko, but Марко је и дошао would mean "Marko even came."
3. а — juxtaposition. The hardest of the four for English speakers, because English lacks it. а sets two things side by side with a mild contrast, and translates variously as and, while, whereas, or but:
Ја сам из Београда, а он је из Ниша. — pure juxtaposition, "and" Он ради, а ја се одмарам. — "while" Соба је мала, а светла. — "but"
а is always preceded by a comma. It can also open a sentence, where it functions as a conversational pivot: А шта ти мислиш? ("And what do you think?")
4. али — true contrast. Where а juxtaposes, али denies an expectation: Мала је, али удобна ("It's small, but comfortable"). Compare Мала је, а удобна, which merely lists two facts without implying that smallness threatened comfort.
5. па — sequence and consequence. Joins events in the order they happened, and often carries "and so": Устао сам, па сам отишао ("I got up and then left"). It is the backbone of spoken narrative, and in storytelling can chain indefinitely: па онда, па после, па тако. It also opens sentences as a filler roughly equal to "well": Па добро.
6. те — the formal connector. Chiefly written: Отишли смо у град те смо купили карте. It carries a mild consecutive sense, like па, but belongs to a higher register — administrative prose, older literature, legal texts.
7. ни … ни — neither … nor. Serbian requires the verb to remain negative. This is not a double negative to be avoided; it is compulsory:
Нема ни хлеба ни млека. — "There is neither bread nor milk." Ни ја не знам. — "I don't know either." Нико ништа не зна. — "Nobody knows anything."
8. Punctuation. Comma before а, али, него, већ. No comma before и when it joins two elements. A comma does appear before и when it separates whole independent clauses with different subjects, or introduces an afterthought.
Common Mistakes
Using и where а is required. Ја сам из Београда и он је из Ниша is not wrong but flat; the natural Serbian juxtaposes with а.
Omitting the negative after ни: *Ни ја знам. Say Ни ја не знам.
Translating "even" with чак alone. чак intensifies but usually accompanies и: чак и он ("even he").
Putting a comma before every и, on the English pattern. Serbian punctuation is grammatical, not rhetorical.
Overusing али. Serbs use а far more often than English uses "but," and a learner who reaches for али every time sounds contradictory.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Хлеб и со — bread and salt — is not a shopping list but the ancient Slavic formula of hospitality: guests were met at the threshold with a loaf and a dish of salt, and the phrase still stands for welcome itself. Serbian is dense with such fixed pairs joined by и: брат и сестра, живот и смрт, крв и мед ("blood and honey," the title of a famous folk collection). The conjunction in these pairs cannot be replaced by а or па — they are frozen.
Folk epic favours polysyndeton, the repetition of и at the head of successive lines, which gives the decasyllable its rolling, additive momentum. Modern prose writers who want the flavour of oral narration reach for the same device, as does the storytelling па … па … па of ordinary spoken Serbian.
А carries a distinctive conversational weight. As a sentence opener it invites, challenges, or changes the subject: А ти? ("And you?"), А што? ("But why?"), А хајде ("Oh, come on"). Learners who master this small word acquire a great deal of idiomatic naturalness at once.
The proverb tradition collected by Vuk Karadžić in Српске народне пословице (1836) is built on these connectives, and most Serbian proverbs turn on a contrast introduced by а: the structure states a case and then sets its opposite beside it, leaving the hearer to draw the moral. The pattern is worth listening for, because it shapes not only proverbs but the rhythm of everyday argument.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
From Први пут с оцем на јутрење ("The First Time with My Father at Matins"), Лаза Лазаревић, 1879 — the best-known Serbian short story of the nineteenth century, and a model of the plain narrative style. The narrator, a boy, remembers his father as he was before gambling ruined the household. The sentence turns on а и, two conjunctions side by side, and then runs forward on a chain of и.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Некад once причала told-FEM ми to-me је is мати mother F.1b Nekad (NE-kad) once pričala (PREE-cha-la) told-FEM mi (mee) to-me je (yeh) is mati (MA-tee) mother
F.2a био been-MASC је is он he сасвим entirely други different човек man F.2b bio (BEE-o) been-MASC je (yeh) is on (on) he sasvim (SAS-veem) entirely drugi (DROO-gee) different čovek (CHO-vek) man
F.3a а and и also ја I се REFL сећам remember као as кроз through маглу fog-ACC F.3b a (ah) and i (ee) also ja (yah) I se (seh) REFL sećam (SE-cham) remember kao (KA-o) as kroz (kroz) through maglu (MAG-loo) fog-ACC
F.4a како how ме me-ACC је is често often држао held-MASC на on крилу lap-LOC F.4b kako (KA-ko) how me (meh) me-ACC je (yeh) is često (CHES-to) often držao (DR-zhao) held-MASC na (nah) on krilu (KREE-loo) lap-LOC
F.5a док while сам I-am био been-MASC сасвим entirely мали little F.5b dok (dok) while sam (sahm) I-am bio (BEE-o) been-MASC sasvim (SAS-veem) entirely mali (MA-lee) little
F.6a правио made-MASC ми for-me од from зове elder-GEN свирајку pipe-ACC F.6b pravio (PRA-vee-o) made-MASC mi (mee) for-me od (od) from zove (ZO-ve) elder-GEN svirajku (SVEE-rye-koo) pipe-ACC
F.7a и and водио took-MASC ме me-ACC са with собом self-INST на on колима cart-INST.PL у to ливаду meadow-ACC F.7b i (ee) and vodio (VO-dee-o) took-MASC me (meh) me-ACC sa (sah) with sobom (SO-bom) self-INST na (nah) on kolima (KO-lee-ma) cart-INST.PL u (oo) to livadu (LEE-va-doo) meadow-ACC
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Некад, причала ми је мати, био је он сасвим други човек; а и ја се сећам, као кроз маглу, како ме је често држао на крилу док сам био сасвим мали, правио ми од зове свирајку и водио ме са собом на колима у ливаду.
"Once, my mother used to tell me, he was an altogether different man; and I too remember, as if through fog, how he often held me on his lap when I was very small, made me a whistle out of elderwood, and took me with him on the cart out to the meadow."
F-C: Original Only
Некад, причала ми је мати, био је он сасвим други човек; а и ја се сећам, као кроз маглу, како ме је често држао на крилу док сам био сасвим мали, правио ми од зове свирајку и водио ме са собом на колима у ливаду.
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
а и ја се сећам is the heart of the passage. а turns from the mother's testimony to the boy's own; и then adds him to the list of those who remember. Two conjunctions, two different jobs, and English needs a whole phrase — "and I too" — to carry both.
The last three verbs — држао, правио, водио — are strung on a single и before the last, exactly the list pattern of Section D: no conjunction between the first two, one before the final item. All three are imperfective participles describing habitual, repeated action: he used to hold, used to make, used to take.
причала ми је мати shows the clitic order of Lesson 2: dative ми before auxiliary је, and both in second position after the participle. Note that the subject мати comes last — this is the given-information-first ordering of Lesson 1 at work.
мати is an archaic and affectionate word for mother, alongside the ordinary мајка. It survives chiefly in literature and in the fixed phrase мати земља.
зове is the genitive of зова, the elder tree. Its soft pith is easily hollowed out, which is why village children's whistles were made from it — a detail every nineteenth-century Serbian reader would have recognised at once.
кола is a plurale tantum: plural in form, singular in meaning, "cart" — and in modern Serbian, "car." на колима is its instrumental plural. Serbian has a small class of these: врата (door), леђа (back), новине (newspaper).
сећам се is a reflexive verb governing the genitive; here the thing remembered is expressed by a како clause instead. Ekavian сећам corresponds to Ijekavian сјећам.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Part A — Intralinear Construed Text
3.16a Јутро morning је is било been-NEUT ведро clear а and ваздух air хладан cold 3.16b Jutro (YOO-tro) morning je (yeh) is bilo (BEE-lo) been-NEUT vedro (VED-ro) clear a (ah) and vazduh (VAZ-dooh) air hladan (HLA-dan) cold
3.17a Устао got-up-MASC сам I-am рано early па and-then сам I-am отворио opened прозор window 3.17b Ustao (OOS-tao) got-up-MASC sam (sahm) I-am rano (RA-no) early pa (pah) and-then sam (sahm) I-am otvorio (ot-VO-ree-o) opened prozor (PRO-zor) window
3.18a Улица street је is још still била been-FEM празна empty а while трамвај tram је is звонио rang у in даљини distance-LOC 3.18b Ulica (OO-lee-tsa) street je (yeh) is još (yosh) still bila (BEE-la) been-FEM prazna (PRAZ-na) empty a (ah) while tramvaj (TRAM-vye) tram je (yeh) is zvonio (ZVO-nee-o) rang u (oo) in daljini (da-LYEE-nee) distance-LOC
3.19a Скувао brewed-MASC сам I-am кафу coffee-ACC и and сео sat-MASC поред beside прозора window-GEN 3.19b Skuvao (SKOO-vao) brewed-MASC sam (sahm) I-am kafu (KA-foo) coffee-ACC i (ee) and seo (SE-o) sat-MASC pored (PO-red) beside prozora (PRO-zo-ra) window-GEN
3.20a Комшија neighbour је is излазио was-going-out с with псом dog-INST а while деца children су are трчала ran-NEUT.PL ка toward школи school-DAT 3.20b Komšija (KOM-shee-ya) neighbour je (yeh) is izlazio (eez-LA-zee-o) was-going-out s (s) with psom (psom) dog-INST a (ah) while deca (DE-tsa) children su (soo) are trčala (TR-cha-la) ran-NEUT.PL ka (kah) toward školi (SHKO-lee) school-DAT
3.21a Попио drank-MASC сам I-am кафу coffee-ACC па and-then изашао went-out-MASC напоље outside 3.21b Popio (PO-pee-o) drank-MASC sam (sahm) I-am kafu (KA-foo) coffee-ACC pa (pah) and-then izašao (ee-ZA-shao) went-out-MASC napolje (na-PO-lye) outside
3.22a На at пијаци market-LOC су are продавали were-selling јабуке apples крушке pears и and грожђе grapes-COLL 3.22b Na (nah) at pijaci (PEE-ya-tsee) market-LOC su (soo) are prodavali (pro-DA-va-lee) were-selling jabuke (YA-boo-ke) apples kruške (KROOSH-ke) pears i (ee) and grožđe (GROZH-dye) grapes-COLL
3.23a Купио bought-MASC сам I-am хлеб bread и and мало a-little сира cheese-GEN 3.23b Kupio (KOO-pee-o) bought-MASC sam (sahm) I-am hleb (hleb) bread i (ee) and malo (MA-lo) a-little sira (SEE-ra) cheese-GEN
3.24a Продавачица saleswoman се REFL насмејала smiled-FEM и and рекла said-FEM добро good јутро morning 3.24b Prodavačica (pro-da-VA-chee-tsa) saleswoman se (seh) REFL nasmejala (nas-ME-ya-la) smiled-FEM i (ee) and rekla (REK-la) said-FEM dobro (DO-bro) good jutro (YOO-tro) morning
3.25a Небо sky се REFL наоблачило clouded-over а and-then онда then је is почела began-FEM киша rain 3.25b Nebo (NE-bo) sky se (seh) REFL naoblačilo (na-ob-LA-chee-lo) clouded-over a (ah) and-then onda (ON-da) then je (yeh) is počela (PO-che-la) began-FEM kiša (KEE-sha) rain
3.26a Нисам I-had-not имао had-MASC ни neither кишобран umbrella ни nor капу cap-ACC 3.26b Nisam (NEE-sam) I-had-not imao (EE-mao) had-MASC ni (nee) neither kišobran (KEE-sho-bran) umbrella ni (nee) nor kapu (KA-poo) cap-ACC
3.27a Трчао ran-MASC сам I-am до to капије gate-GEN па and-then сам I-am се REFL склонио sheltered под under кров roof-ACC 3.27b Trčao (TR-chao) ran-MASC sam (sahm) I-am do (doh) to kapije (KA-pee-ye) gate-GEN pa (pah) and-then sam (sahm) I-am se (seh) REFL sklonio (SKLO-nee-o) sheltered pod (pod) under krov (krov) roof-ACC
3.28a Киша rain је is падала fell-FEM кратко briefly и and брзо quickly престала stopped-FEM 3.28b Kiša (KEE-sha) rain je (yeh) is padala (PA-da-la) fell-FEM kratko (KRAT-ko) briefly i (ee) and brzo (BR-zo) quickly prestala (PRES-ta-la) stopped-FEM
3.29a Сунце sun се REFL вратило returned-NEUT а and улица street је is заблистала glittered-FEM 3.29b Sunce (SOON-tse) sun se (seh) REFL vratilo (VRA-tee-lo) returned-NEUT a (ah) and ulica (OO-lee-tsa) street je (yeh) is zablistala (zab-LEES-ta-la) glittered-FEM
3.30a Кренуо set-off-MASC сам I-am даље onward и and осмехнуо smiled-MASC се REFL 3.30b Krenuo (KRE-noo-o) set-off-MASC sam (sahm) I-am dalje (DA-lye) onward i (ee) and osmehnuo (os-MEH-noo-o) smiled-MASC se (seh) REFL
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Part B — Natural Sentences
3.16 Јутро је било ведро, а ваздух хладан. "The morning was clear, and the air cold."
3.17 Устао сам рано па сам отворио прозор. "I got up early and opened the window."
3.18 Улица је још била празна, а трамвај је звонио у даљини. "The street was still empty, while a tram rang in the distance."
3.19 Скувао сам кафу и сео поред прозора. "I made coffee and sat down by the window."
3.20 Комшија је излазио с псом, а деца су трчала ка школи. "The neighbour was going out with his dog, while children ran towards the school."
3.21 Попио сам кафу па изашао напоље. "I drank the coffee and then went outside."
3.22 На пијаци су продавали јабуке, крушке и грожђе. "At the market they were selling apples, pears and grapes."
3.23 Купио сам хлеб и мало сира. "I bought bread and a little cheese."
3.24 Продавачица се насмејала и рекла: добро јутро. "The saleswoman smiled and said good morning."
3.25 Небо се наоблачило, а онда је почела киша. "The sky clouded over, and then the rain began."
3.26 Нисам имао ни кишобран ни капу. "I had neither umbrella nor cap."
3.27 Трчао сам до капије па сам се склонио под кров. "I ran to the gate and took shelter under the roof."
3.28 Киша је падала кратко и брзо престала. "The rain fell briefly and quickly stopped."
3.29 Сунце се вратило, а улица је заблистала. "The sun came back, and the street glittered."
3.30 Кренуо сам даље и осмехнуо се. "I set off onward, and smiled."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Part C — Target Language Only
3.16 Јутро је било ведро, а ваздух хладан.
3.17 Устао сам рано па сам отворио прозор.
3.18 Улица је још била празна, а трамвај је звонио у даљини.
3.19 Скувао сам кафу и сео поред прозора.
3.20 Комшија је излазио с псом, а деца су трчала ка школи.
3.21 Попио сам кафу па изашао напоље.
3.22 На пијаци су продавали јабуке, крушке и грожђе.
3.23 Купио сам хлеб и мало сира.
3.24 Продавачица се насмејала и рекла: добро јутро.
3.25 Небо се наоблачило, а онда је почела киша.
3.26 Нисам имао ни кишобран ни капу.
3.27 Трчао сам до капије па сам се склонио под кров.
3.28 Киша је падала кратко и брзо престала.
3.29 Сунце се вратило, а улица је заблистала.
3.30 Кренуо сам даље и осмехнуо се.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Part D — Grammar Notes for the Story
а ваздух хладан (3.16) — the verb is not repeated in the second clause. Serbian gapping is common and elegant: Јутро је било ведро, а ваздух хладан rather than а ваздух је био хладан. а makes the ellipsis possible by marking the parallel.
па сам отворио (3.17) versus па изашао (3.21) — when clauses joined by па share a subject, the auxiliary may be repeated or dropped. Both are correct; dropping it is tighter and more idiomatic in narrative.
а in three different senses (3.18, 3.20, 3.25) — "while" in 3.18 and 3.20, where two simultaneous scenes are set against each other, and "and then" in 3.25, where the contrast is temporal. All three would be and in English; the choice of а over и signals that something has shifted.
деца су трчала (3.20) — деца is a collective feminine singular in form but takes neuter plural agreement in the past: трчала су. This irregularity catches every learner. The same applies to браћа (brothers) and господа (gentlemen).
с псом (3.20) — instrumental of accompaniment with с/са. The vowel-less с is used before most consonants; са appears before с, з, ш, ж and before consonant clusters: са школом, са мном.
мало сира (3.23) — quantity words govern the genitive: мало сира (a little cheese), много људи (many people), чаша воде (a glass of water). This is the partitive genitive, the same construction as нема хлеба in Lesson 1.
ни кишобран ни капу (3.26) — the paired negative, with the verb already negated by нисам. Note that the objects stay accusative here; after нема they would take the genitive.
се in 3.24, 3.25, 3.27, 3.29, 3.30 — the reflexive clitic, obligatory with these verbs and part of their dictionary form: насмејати се, наоблачити се, склонити се, вратити се, осмехнути се. It sits in the clitic cluster after the auxiliary: сам се склонио.
грожђе (3.22) — another collective neuter, like цвијеће in Lesson 2: grapes as a mass. Contrast the countable јабуке and крушке, which are ordinary plurals.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
и (i): ee. A single pure vowel, always. As a conjunction it is unstressed and leans on the following word, so хлеб и со runs together as hleb-i-so.
а (a): ah. Open and clear, never the flat English a of cat. As a conjunction it is short and swallowed, but the vowel keeps its quality.
па (pa): pah. Serbian п is unaspirated — no puff of air after the p, unlike English pot. The same applies to т and к. This single adjustment removes a great deal of foreign accent.
ни (ni): nee. Distinguish from њи- in њихов: н is a plain dental n, њ the palatal /ɲ/.
грожђе (grožđe): GROZH-dye. Two difficult letters in succession — ж as the s in measure, then ђ as a soft palatal d. Say the word slowly as grozh-dye before joining it up.
трчао (trčao): TR-chao. Syllabic р again, then a three-vowel sequence a-o that stays fully separate — Serbian does not glide vowels together.
комшија (komšija): KOM-shee-ya. A Turkish loanword (komşu, neighbour), one of a large stratum of everyday Turkisms: кафа, пиџама, јастук, боја, чарапа.
Word-final devoicing does not occur: хлеб ends in a true b, not a p. English speakers routinely devoice final consonants; Serbian keeps them voiced.
Clitic rhythm: the conjunctions и, а, па, те never carry stress. Read the sentence so the stress falls on the content words and the connectives glide past, and Serbian prose begins to sound like Serbian.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
---