Serbian has two words for you, and choosing between them is a social act performed in every conversation. Ти is singular and familiar: family, friends, children, animals, God. Ви is plural, and also the polite singular used for strangers, elders, officials, and anyone to whom respect or distance is owed.
The polite Ви takes plural agreement throughout — Ви сте били, not Ви сте био — and in letters it is capitalised as a courtesy. Getting this wrong is not a grammatical slip but a social one: ти to an elderly stranger is an insult, Ви to a close friend is a joke or a rebuke.
As with ја, the pronoun is normally dropped, since the verb ending carries the person: идеш already means "you go." What matters most are the oblique forms and the imperatives.
Key Takeaways
- ти = familiar singular; ви = plural and polite singular - Polite Ви takes plural verb and participle: Ви сте дошли - ти: accusative те / тебе, dative ти / теби, instrumental тобом - ви: accusative вас, dative вам / вама, instrumental вама - Vocative in -е or -у for direct address: брате, Ана, господине - Imperative singular in -и / -ј, plural in -ите / -јте: реци / реците - персирати is the verb for addressing someone as Ви
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9.1a Куда where-to идеш you-go 9.1b Kuda (KOO-da) where-to ideš (EE-desh) you-go
9.2a Ти you си are мој my најбољи best пријатељ friend 9.2b Ti (tee) you si (see) are moj (moy) my najbolji (nigh-BO-lyee) best prijatelj (pri-YA-tely) friend
9.3a Видим I-see те you-ACC.CL сваки every дан day 9.3b Vidim (VEE-deem) I-see te (teh) you-ACC.CL svaki (SVA-kee) every dan (dahn) day
9.4a Теби to-you-EMPH ово this дајем I-give 9.4b Tebi (TE-bee) to-you-EMPH ovo (O-vo) this dajem (DA-yem) I-give
9.5a Да Q ли Q сте you-are-POL Ви you-POL господин mister Јовановић Jovanović 9.5b Da (dah) Q li (lee) Q ste (steh) you-are-POL Vi (vee) you-POL gospodin (GOS-po-deen) mister Jovanović (yo-VA-no-veech) Jovanović
9.6a Molim I-beg Вас you-ACC.POL седите sit-IMP.PL 9.6b Molim (MO-leem) I-beg Vas (vahs) you-ACC.POL sedite (SE-dee-te) sit-IMP.PL
9.7a Реци say-IMP.SG ми to-me истину truth-ACC 9.7b Reci (RE-tsee) say-IMP.SG mi (mee) to-me istinu (EES-tee-noo) truth-ACC
9.8a Реците say-IMP.PL нам to-us шта what се REFL догодило happened 9.8b Recite (RE-tsee-te) say-IMP.PL nam (nahm) to-us šta (shta) what se (seh) REFL dogodilo (do-GO-dee-lo) happened
9.9a Са with тобом you-INST је is лакше easier 9.9b Sa (sah) with tobom (TO-bom) you-INST je (yeh) is lakše (LAK-she) easier
9.10a Хвала thanks вам to-you-POL на for свему everything-LOC 9.10b Hvala (HVA-la) thanks vam (vahm) to-you-POL na (nah) for svemu (SVE-moo) everything-LOC
9.11a Брате brother-VOC чекај wait-IMP 9.11b Brate (BRA-te) brother-VOC čekaj (CHE-kie) wait-IMP
9.12a Ви you-PL сте are дошли come-PL прерано too-early 9.12b Vi (vee) you-PL ste (steh) are došli (DOSH-lee) come-PL prerano (pre-RA-no) too-early
9.13a Не not бој fear-IMP се REFL ништа nothing ти to-you неће will-not бити be-INF 9.13b Ne (neh) not boj (boy) fear-IMP se (seh) REFL — ništa (NEESH-ta) nothing ti (tee) to-you neće (NE-che) will-not biti (BEE-tee) be-INF
9.14a О about теби you-LOC сви all лепо nicely говоре speak 9.14b O (o) about tebi (TE-bee) you-LOC svi (svee) all lepo (LE-po) nicely govore (GO-vo-re) speak
9.15a Господине sir-VOC заборавили forgotten-PL сте you-are торбу bag-ACC 9.15b Gospodine (gos-PO-dee-ne) sir-VOC zaboravili (za-bo-RA-vee-lee) forgotten-PL ste (steh) you-are torbu (TOR-boo) bag-ACC
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9.1 Куда идеш? "Where are you going?"
9.2 Ти си мој најбољи пријатељ. "You are my best friend."
9.3 Видим те сваки дан. "I see you every day."
9.4 Теби ово дајем. "I'm giving this to you."
9.5 Да ли сте Ви господин Јовановић? "Are you Mr Jovanović?"
9.6 Молим Вас, седите. "Please, sit down."
9.7 Реци ми истину. "Tell me the truth."
9.8 Реците нам шта се догодило. "Tell us what happened."
9.9 Са тобом је лакше. "With you it's easier."
9.10 Хвала вам на свему. "Thank you for everything."
9.11 Брате, чекај! "Brother, wait!"
9.12 Ви сте дошли прерано. "You have come too early."
9.13 Не бој се, ништа ти неће бити. "Don't be afraid, nothing will happen to you."
9.14 О теби сви лепо говоре. "Everyone speaks well of you."
9.15 Господине, заборавили сте торбу. "Sir, you've forgotten your bag."
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9.1 Куда идеш?
9.2 Ти си мој најбољи пријатељ.
9.3 Видим те сваки дан.
9.4 Теби ово дајем.
9.5 Да ли сте Ви господин Јовановић?
9.6 Молим Вас, седите.
9.7 Реци ми истину.
9.8 Реците нам шта се догодило.
9.9 Са тобом је лакше.
9.10 Хвала вам на свему.
9.11 Брате, чекај!
9.12 Ви сте дошли прерано.
9.13 Не бој се, ништа ти неће бити.
9.14 О теби сви лепо говоре.
9.15 Господине, заборавили сте торбу.
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These are the rules for ти and ви.
1. The declensions.
ти: genitive тебе (clitic те), dative теби (clitic ти), accusative тебе / те, instrumental тобом, locative теби ви: genitive вас, dative вама (clitic вам), accusative вас, instrumental вама, locative вама
Note that the dative clitic ти is spelt identically to the nominative pronoun ти. Position tells them apart: the clitic never begins a clause and never carries stress. Ти ти дајем would be odd but not ambiguous.
2. Polite Ви takes plural agreement. The verb is plural, the participle is plural, and adjectives in the predicate are plural: Ви сте дошли, Ви сте љубазни. Using a singular participle with Ви — *Ви сте дошао — is a common learner error and marks the speaker instantly.
In writing, Ви, Вас, Вам, Ваш are capitalised when addressing one person politely. Addressing several people, they stay lower case.
3. Choosing. Use ти with family, friends, colleagues of your own age and rank, children, and animals. Use Ви with strangers, older people, officials, teachers, doctors, shopkeepers you do not know, and anyone in a formal setting. When in doubt, use Ви and wait to be invited: Можемо на ти ("we can be on ti terms") is the standard invitation, and it is usually issued by the elder or senior person.
The verb for this is персирати — to address someone as Ви. Немој ми персирати means "don't be so formal with me."
4. The vocative. Serbian has a living vocative case for direct address. Masculine nouns take -е or -у: брат → брате, Бог → боже, господин → господине, пријатељ → пријатељу, муж → мужу. Feminine nouns in -а take -о: жена → жено, мајка → мајко, though personal names often keep the nominative: Ана, Милица. Neuter nouns do not change.
Using the nominative to call someone is possible in modern speech but sounds brusque or foreign; the vocative is expected.
5. The imperative. Formed from the present stem: singular -и or -ј, plural -ите or -јте.
реци / реците (say), чекај / чекајте (wait), седи / седите (sit), иди / идите (go), буди / будите (be), пиши / пишите (write)
The polite imperative is the plural form, whether one person or several: Молим Вас, седите.
6. Negative imperatives. Two constructions: не plus the imperative (не бој се), or немој / немојте plus the infinitive or да clause (немој да се бојиш, немојте ићи). The немој form is gentler and far more common in speech.
7. The dative of the affected person. Ништа ти неће бити — "nothing will be to you," meaning "you'll be all right." This is the same experiencer dative met in Lesson 8, now in the second person.
Common Mistakes
Singular agreement with polite Ви: *Ви сте био. Say Ви сте били.
Using ти with an older stranger. Serbs notice immediately, and no amount of otherwise good Serbian repairs the impression.
Calling someone by the nominative: *Брат, чекај. Say Брате, чекај.
Confusing the imperative plural -ите with the present -ите: реците (say!) against говорите (you speak / speak!). Many verbs are identical in both; context and intonation resolve it.
Translating "thank you for" with за: *хвала вам за све. Say хвала вам на свему, with на and the locative.
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The move from Ви to ти is a small ceremony. It is proposed by the senior party — Хајде да пређемо на ти — and often sealed with a drink. Refusing is possible but pointed. Among younger Serbs the boundary has shifted markedly: students, colleagues under forty, and anyone met socially will usually be ти within minutes, while shopkeepers, officials and doctors remain Ви indefinitely.
Kinship vocatives do enormous work in Serbian address. Брате and сестро are used to friends and strangers alike; бато, секо, тетка, чика and бако extend the family frame to anyone. A child addresses an unrelated adult as чика Марко or тета Ана, and an older man may call a young stranger сине ("son"). This is warmth rather than presumption, and refusing to play along reads as coldness.
Комшија (neighbour) and мајсторе (master, craftsman) function almost as honorifics in daily life: the plumber, the mechanic and the man selling melons are all мајсторе. Господине and госпођо belong to formal or commercial settings and can sound stiff between people who see each other often.
God and the dead take ти. Prayer, folk poetry, and epitaphs all address their subject familiarly, which is why the vocative боже in Lesson 5 sits alongside second-person singular verbs. The polite plural is a comparatively recent European import; the older language knew only ти.
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From Хасанагиница, recorded by Vuk Stefanović Karadžić. Hasan-aga, recovering from his wounds and angered that his wife did not visit him, sends her his message. The lines are addressed directly to her, and they are built on the second person.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Кад when ли indeed му to-him је is ранам' wounds-DAT боље better било been-NEUT F.1b Kad (kahd) when li (lee) indeed mu (moo) to-him je (yeh) is ranam' (RA-nam) wounds-DAT bolje (BO-lye) better bilo (BEE-lo) been-NEUT
F.2a он he поручи sends-word вјерној faithful-DAT љуби love-DAT својој his-own-DAT F.2b on (on) he poruči (PO-roo-chee) sends-word vjernoj (VYER-noy) faithful-DAT ljubi (LYOO-bee) love-DAT svojoj (SVO-yoy) his-own-DAT
F.3a Не not чекај wait-IMP.SG ме me-ACC у in двору court-LOC б'јелому white-LOC F.3b Ne (neh) not čekaj (CHE-kie) wait-IMP.SG me (meh) me-ACC u (oo) in dvoru (DVO-roo) court-LOC b'jelomu (BYE-lo-moo) white-LOC
F.4a ни nor у in двору court-LOC ни nor у in роду kin-LOC мому my-LOC F.4b ni (nee) nor u (oo) in dvoru (DVO-roo) court-LOC ni (nee) nor u (oo) in rodu (RO-doo) kin-LOC momu (MO-moo) my-LOC
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Кад ли му је ранам' боље било, он поручи вјерној љуби својој: „Не чекај ме у двору б'јелому, ни у двору, ни у роду мому."
"When his wounds had healed a little, he sent word to his faithful wife: 'Do not wait for me in the white court, neither in the court nor among my kin.'"
F-C: Original Only
Кад ли му је ранам' боље било, он поручи вјерној љуби својој: „Не чекај ме у двору б'јелому, ни у двору, ни у роду мому."
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
Не чекај ме is the negative imperative of Lesson 9 in its plain form: не plus the singular imperative. Modern speech would more often say немој ме чекати, which is gentler; the bare form here is a command, and the whole tragedy of the ballad follows from it.
The address is ти throughout — singular, familiar, between husband and wife. The polite plural did not exist in this register and would be unthinkable here.
вјерној љуби својој is a triple dative: the adjective, the noun, and the possessive all take -ој / -и. Љуба is an archaic word for wife or beloved, still transparent to Serbian ears from љубав (love).
својој is the reflexive possessive свој, which refers back to the subject of the clause: "his own" wife, where његовој would suggest someone else's. Serbian maintains this distinction rigorously and English cannot render it.
ранам' is an apocopated ранама, dative plural of рана (wound), in the impersonal construction боље му је било ранама — "it had become better for him as to his wounds."
ни … ни is the paired negative of Lesson 3, here without a negated verb because the imperative не чекај has already supplied the negation.
двору б'јелому and роду мому show the long, definite adjective endings -ому in the locative, a form now largely replaced by -ом in modern Serbian but standard in the folk decasyllable. The elided б'јелому is Ijekavian бијелому.
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Part A — Intralinear Construed Text
9.16a Добар good дан day докторе doctor-VOC изволите please уђите enter-IMP.PL 9.16b Dobar (DO-bar) good dan (dahn) day doktore (DOK-to-re) doctor-VOC — izvolite (eez-VO-lee-te) please uđite (OO-dyee-te) enter-IMP.PL
9.17a Реците tell-IMP.PL ми to-me шта what вас you-ACC.POL мучи troubles 9.17b Recite (RE-tsee-te) tell-IMP.PL mi (mee) to-me šta (shta) what vas (vahs) you-ACC.POL muči (MOO-chee) troubles
9.18a Већ already три three дана days-GEN ме me-ACC боли hurts грло throat 9.18b Već (vech) already tri (tree) three dana (DA-na) days-GEN me (meh) me-ACC boli (BO-lee) hurts grlo (GR-lo) throat
9.19a Да Q ли Q сте you-are-POL имали had-PL температуру temperature-ACC 9.19b Da (dah) Q li (lee) Q ste (steh) you-are-POL imali (EE-ma-lee) had-PL temperaturu (tem-pe-ra-TOO-roo) temperature-ACC
9.20a Јуче yesterday сам I-am имао had-MASC тридесет thirty осам eight 9.20b Juče (YOO-che) yesterday sam (sahm) I-am imao (EE-mao) had-MASC trideset (TREE-de-set) thirty osam (O-sam) eight
9.21a Отворите open-IMP.PL уста mouth и and реците say-IMP.PL а ah 9.21b Otvorite (ot-VO-ree-te) open-IMP.PL usta (OOS-ta) mouth i (ee) and recite (RE-tsee-te) say-IMP.PL a (ah) ah
9.22a Грло throat вам to-you-POL је is црвено red али but није is-not страшно terrible 9.22b Grlo (GR-lo) throat vam (vahm) to-you-POL je (yeh) is crveno (TSR-ve-no) red ali (A-lee) but nije (NEE-yeh) is-not strašno (STRASH-no) terrible
9.23a Треба it-is-necessary ли Q ми to-me антибиотик antibiotic 9.23b Treba (TRE-ba) it-is-necessary li (lee) Q mi (mee) to-me antibiotik (an-tee-bee-O-teek) antibiotic
9.24a Засад for-now не no пијте drink-IMP.PL много much топлог warm-GEN чаја tea-GEN 9.24b Zasad (ZA-sad) for-now ne (neh) no — pijte (PEE-te) drink-IMP.PL mnogo (MNO-go) much toplog (TOP-log) warm-GEN čaja (CHA-ya) tea-GEN
9.25a И and немојте do-not-IMP.PL излазити go-out-INF по in хладноћи cold-LOC 9.25b I (ee) and nemojte (NE-moy-te) do-not-IMP.PL izlaziti (eez-LA-zee-tee) go-out-INF po (poh) in hladnoći (hlad-NO-chee) cold-LOC
9.26a Колико how-long дуго long да to останем I-stay код at куће home-GEN 9.26b Koliko (KO-lee-ko) how-long dugo (DOO-go) long da (dah) to ostanem (OS-ta-nem) I-stay kod (kod) at kuće (KOO-che) home-GEN
9.27a Три three дана days-GEN и and јавите report-IMP.PL ми to-me се REFL ако if буде it-be горе worse 9.27b Tri (tree) three dana (DA-na) days-GEN i (ee) and javite (YA-vee-te) report-IMP.PL mi (mee) to-me se (seh) REFL ako (A-ko) if bude (BOO-de) it-be gore (GO-re) worse
9.28a Хвала thanks вам to-you-POL много very докторе doctor-VOC 9.28b Hvala (HVA-la) thanks vam (vahm) to-you-POL mnogo (MNO-go) very doktore (DOK-to-re) doctor-VOC
9.29a Ништа nothing вам to-you-POL неће will-not бити be-INF чувајте take-care-IMP.PL се REFL 9.29b Ništa (NEESH-ta) nothing vam (vahm) to-you-POL neće (NE-che) will-not biti (BEE-tee) be-INF — čuvajte (CHOO-vie-te) take-care-IMP.PL se (seh) REFL
9.30a Довиђења goodbye и and пријатан pleasant дан day 9.30b Doviđenja (do-vee-DYE-nya) goodbye i (ee) and prijatan (pri-YA-tan) pleasant dan (dahn) day
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Part B — Natural Sentences
9.16 Добар дан, докторе. — Изволите, уђите. "Good afternoon, doctor." — "Please, come in."
9.17 Реците ми шта вас мучи. "Tell me what's troubling you."
9.18 Већ три дана ме боли грло. "My throat has been hurting for three days."
9.19 Да ли сте имали температуру? "Have you had a temperature?"
9.20 Јуче сам имао тридесет осам. "Yesterday I had thirty-eight."
9.21 Отворите уста и реците „а". "Open your mouth and say 'ah'."
9.22 Грло вам је црвено, али није страшно. "Your throat is red, but it's nothing serious."
9.23 Треба ли ми антибиотик? "Do I need an antibiotic?"
9.24 Засад не. Пијте много топлог чаја. "Not for now. Drink plenty of warm tea."
9.25 И немојте излазити по хладноћи. "And don't go out in the cold."
9.26 Колико дуго да останем код куће? "How long should I stay at home?"
9.27 Три дана. И јавите ми се ако буде горе. "Three days. And let me know if it gets worse."
9.28 Хвала вам много, докторе. "Thank you very much, doctor."
9.29 Ништа вам неће бити. Чувајте се. "You'll be fine. Take care."
9.30 Довиђења и пријатан дан. "Goodbye, and have a pleasant day."
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Part C — Target Language Only
9.16 Добар дан, докторе. — Изволите, уђите.
9.17 Реците ми шта вас мучи.
9.18 Већ три дана ме боли грло.
9.19 Да ли сте имали температуру?
9.20 Јуче сам имао тридесет осам.
9.21 Отворите уста и реците „а".
9.22 Грло вам је црвено, али није страшно.
9.23 Треба ли ми антибиотик?
9.24 Засад не. Пијте много топлог чаја.
9.25 И немојте излазити по хладноћи.
9.26 Колико дуго да останем код куће?
9.27 Три дана. И јавите ми се ако буде горе.
9.28 Хвала вам много, докторе.
9.29 Ништа вам неће бити. Чувајте се.
9.30 Довиђења и пријатан дан.
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Part D — Grammar Notes for the Dialogue
докторе (9.16, 9.28) — vocative of доктор. Professional titles are used in address far more than in English: докторе, професоре, директоре, мајсторе.
уђите, реците, отворите, пијте, јавите, чувајте се — six polite imperatives, all plural in form. The doctor uses them to the patient and the patient would use them back; Ви governs the whole exchange.
шта вас мучи (9.17) — accusative вас. Serbian expresses ailment with the sufferer as object: боли ме глава (my head aches, literally "the head hurts me"), мучи ме (it troubles me).
ме боли грло (9.18) — the body part is the subject, the person the accusative object. There is no possessive: Serbian does not say "my throat," because the object pronoun already establishes whose it is.
Грло вам је црвено (9.22) — the dative of possession, another way of doing the same job: "the throat to you is red." Both patterns are everywhere in medical and bodily speech.
Треба ли ми (9.23) — impersonal треба with the dative, from Lesson 6: "is an antibiotic necessary to me."
немојте излазити (9.25) — the gentler negative imperative, немојте plus infinitive. Compare the blunt не излазите, and the bare folk imperative не чекај ме in the citation above.
по хладноћи (9.25) — по with the locative for conditions: по киши, по снегу, по мраку.
да останем (9.26) — да plus present used for a deliberative question: "how long am I to stay?"
ако буде горе (9.27) — the perfective буде of Lesson 2 in a conditional clause with future reference. The present ако је горе would mean "if it is worse now."
Ништа вам неће бити (9.29) — the reassurance formula, dative of the affected person plus negated future of бити. Word for word: "nothing will be to you."
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ти (ti): tee. Unaspirated т — no puff of air. The stressed pronoun and the unstressed dative clitic are spelt alike but only the pronoun carries pitch.
тебе / теби (tebe / tebi): TE-be, TE-bee. Stress on the first syllable, both vowels clear.
тобом (tobom): TO-bom. Two syllables. Always with a preposition: са тобом, пред тобом.
вас / вам (vas / vam): vahs, vahm. Short and unstressed as clitics; вама (VA-ma) is the stressed dative and locative.
господине (gospodine): gos-PO-dee-ne. Five syllables; the vocative -е must be sounded.
реците (recite): RE-tsee-te. ц as /ts/. Contrast речите (RE-chee-te), a different word meaning "eloquent."
хладноћи (hladnoći): hlad-NO-chee. Initial хл- is a genuine cluster; the х is a light velar fricative, weaker than German ach but definitely present. Dropping it, as many speakers do colloquially (ладно), is substandard in careful speech.
довиђења (doviđenja): do-vee-DYE-nya. Four syllables, with ђ soft and њ palatal. Literally "until seeing," parallel to French au revoir.
Imperative intonation: Serbian imperatives fall sharply on the stressed syllable. The polite plural does not soften this by intonation — politeness lives in the form -ите and in молим Вас, not in a rising tone.
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