Idem u centar, u centru sam: the preposition is half the story, the ending is the rest
Explaining the way means stacking six prepositions in a row, and each of them wants a form of its own. Three spots need your attention. For example: “Идем у центар, а у центру ћу бити до пет” — I am going to the center, and I will be in the center until five. A rule from the Serbian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Explaining the way means stacking six prepositions in a row, and each of them wants a form of its own. Three spots need your attention.
First, u and na work with two forms. Going there: Idem u centar, Idem na pijacu. Being there: U centru sam, Bio sam na pijaci.
Second, the choice between u and na is dictionary work rather than logic. Serbian says na fakultetu, na poslu, na aerodromu, but u školi, u gradu, u prodavnici.
Third, and the most useful: almost every place preposition wants the of-form. Kod banke, iza zgrade, preko puta škole, pored crkve. One form is cheaper to learn than nine prepositions.
Table
| the phrase | the case | example | in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| u + object form | to where | idem u grad | I am going to town |
| u + at-form | where at | živim u gradu | I live in town |
| na + object form | to where | idem na pijacu | I am going to the market |
| na + at-form | where at | bio sam na pijaci | I was at the market |
| do, kod, pored, iza | the of-form | kod banke | by the bank |
| preko puta, duž, blizu | the of-form | preko puta škole | across from the school |
| ka, prema | the to-case | idem prema centru | I am heading downtown |
| no preposition | the with-form | idem autobusom | I go by bus |
By example
- Идем у центар, а у центру ћу бити до петIdem u centar, a u centru ću biti do petI am going to the center, and I will be in the center until five
- До поште се иде право, па код семафора левоDo pošte se ide pravo, pa kod semafora levoTo the post office go straight, then left at the traffic light
- На посао идем аутобусом, а враћам се пешкеNa posao idem autobusom, a vraćam se peškeI take the bus to work and walk back
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
Idem u centar or u centru sam?
Explaining the way means stacking six prepositions in a row, and each of them wants a form of its own. Three spots need your attention.
U or na: how to say at the university in Serbian?
First, u and na work with two forms. Going there: Idem u centar, Idem na pijacu. Being there: U centru sam, Bio sam na pijaci.
Which case after kod, pored and iza?
Second, the choice between u and na is dictionary work rather than logic. Serbian says na fakultetu, na poslu, na aerodromu, but u školi, u gradu, u prodavnici.
How to say I go by bus in Serbian?
Third, and the most useful: almost every place preposition wants the of-form. Kod banke, iza zgrade, preko puta škole, pored crkve. One form is cheaper to learn than nine prepositions.
What does it look like in an example sentence Serbian?
“Идем у центар, а у центру ћу бити до пет” (Idem u centar, a u centru ću biti do pet) — I am going to the center, and I will be in the center until five. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.