Rekoh and govoraše: the past you read, not speak
In the spoken language of Belgrade there is one past: rekao sam, došli smo. But books, folk songs and the credits of old films will hand you rekoh, dođe, govoraše. For example: “Одох ја, видимо се сутра” — Well, I am off — see you tomorrow. A rule from the Serbian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
In the spoken language of Belgrade there is one past: rekao sam, došli smo. But books, folk songs and the credits of old films will hand you rekoh, dođe, govoraše.
The first of those comes off a done-deal verb and is known by its tails -h, -smo, -ste, -še. So: rekoh, rekosmo, rekoše, dođoh, dođoše.
The second comes off a process verb and is known by -ah, -aše, -ahu: govorah, govoraše, govorahu. Living speech kept one word of it, beše: Kako ti beše ime?
The aim here is to recognize the form in a text, not to put it into your own speech. Seeing those tails and knowing this is the past is enough. In southern Serbia and Montenegro Odoh! is ordinary.
Table
| who | the short past (reći) | the drawn-out past (govoriti) | the everyday past |
|---|---|---|---|
| ja | rekoh | govorah | rekao sam |
| ti | reče | govoraše | rekao si |
| on, ona | reče | govoraše | rekao je |
| mi | rekosmo | govorasmo | rekli smo |
| vi | rekoste | govoraste | rekli ste |
| oni | rekoše | govorahu | rekli su |
By example
- Одох ја, видимо се сутраOdoh ja, vidimo se sutraWell, I am off — see you tomorrow
- Дођоше, видеше и одошеDođoše, videše i odošeThey came, they saw, they left
- Како ти беше име?Kako ti beše ime?What was your name, again?
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Rekoh and govoraše: how does it work in Serbian?
In the spoken language of Belgrade there is one past: rekao sam, došli smo. But books, folk songs and the credits of old films will hand you rekoh, dođe, govoraše.
What does it look like in an example sentence Serbian?
“Одох ја, видимо се сутра” (Odoh ja, vidimo se sutra) — Well, I am off — see you tomorrow. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.