Ovaj, taj, onaj: three "thises" instead of two
English splits space in two: this near me, that away from me. Serbian splits it in three. For example: “Овај телефон је мој, а тај је твој” — This phone is mine, and that one is yours. A rule from the Serbian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English splits space in two: this near me, that away from me. Serbian splits it in three.
Ovaj is at my end: ovaj telefon, the one in my hand. Taj is at yours, or the thing just mentioned: Daj mi taj punjač. Onaj is far from us both: Onaj autobus ide do centra.
The slip is always the same. Learners take ovaj and onaj and skip the middle taj, which sounds as if nobody else were in the room.
The place words keep the same three rungs: ovde here by me, tu there by you, tamo over there. Sedi tu is not the same invitation as Sedi tamo.
Table
| where | m. | f. | n. | adverb | in English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at mine | ovaj | ova | ovo | ovde | this, here |
| at yours | taj | ta | to | tu | that, right by you |
| far away | onaj | ona | ono | tamo | that over there |
| back in the text | taj | ta | to | — | the one already mentioned |
| other cases | ovog, ovom | ove, ovoj | ovog, ovom | — | like an adjective |
By example
- Овај телефон је мој, а тај је твојOvaj telefon je moj, a taj je tvojThis phone is mine, and that one is yours
- Дај ми ону кутију са ормараDaj mi onu kutiju sa ormaraGive me that box from the wardrobe
- Тај обичај је веома старTaj običaj je veoma starThat custom is very old
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
Ovaj, taj, onaj: how does it work in Serbian?
English splits space in two: this near me, that away from me. Serbian splits it in three.
What does it look like in an example sentence Serbian?
“Овај телефон је мој, а тај је твој” (Ovaj telefon je moj, a taj je tvoj) — This phone is mine, and that one is yours. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.