Izrađen, obnovljen, zašiljen: the participle that behaves like an adjective
This unit describes things through what was done to them: the item izrađen — made, the facade obnovljen — renovated, the pole tip zašiljen — sharpened, the cargo otpremljen — shipped. This is the passive participle, and in Serbian it is not a piece of a verb phrase but a full adjective: it declines, it agrees, it even has a comparative. English participles do double duty too ("a broken window"), so the concept is…
How it works
This unit describes things through what was done to them: the item izrađen — made, the facade obnovljen — renovated, the pole tip zašiljen — sharpened, the cargo otpremljen — shipped. This is the passive participle, and in Serbian it is not a piece of a verb phrase but a full adjective: it declines, it agrees, it even has a comparative. English participles do double duty too ("a broken window"), so the concept is yours; only the building rules differ.
How it is built. From the verb stem plus -n, -en or -t: izradi-ti → izrađen — made, obnovi-ti → obnovljen, otpremi-ti → otpremljen — shipped, proda-ti → prodat — sold, pi-ti → pit — drunk. Which suffix you get depends on the stem; there is no reliable rule, only habit.
The alternation to know in advance. Before -en the last stem consonant softens: d → đ (izradi-ti → izrađen), t → ć (plati-ti → plaćen — paid), and b, p, m, v take lj (obnovi-ti → obnovljen, otpremi-ti → otpremljen, kupi-ti → kupljen — bought). English participles also hide sound changes underneath ("make" → "made"); Serbian simply writes its changes out.
Agreement is obligatory. Proizvod je izrađen, roba je izrađena, vrata su izrađena. And through the cases: od izrađenog dela, sa obnovljenom fasadom.
How this differs from the passive. The se-passive is the action: kuća se gradi — the house is being built, right now, by someone. The participle is the result: kuća je izgrađena — the house is built, standing finished. English draws the same line between "is being built" and "is built" — the mapping is nearly one to one; the only cost is mixing them up.
And a small trap. Some participles long ago broke loose from their verbs and live as ordinary adjectives: pohaban — worn out, zgužvan — crumpled, izbledeo — faded, zardao — rusted, povučen — withdrawn, shy. Nobody hears them as verb forms anymore, and dictionaries list them separately.
Table
| the verb | the participle | what changed | in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| izraditi | izrađen | d → đ | made |
| platiti | plaćen | t → ć | paid |
| obnoviti | obnovljen | v → vl | renovated |
| otpremiti | otpremljen | m → ml | shipped |
| kupiti | kupljen | p → pl | bought |
| prodati | prodat | the suffix -t | sold |
| označiti | označen | no alternation | marked |
| srušiti | srušen | no alternation | torn down |
By example
- Врата су израђена по мери и обојена у белоVrata su izrađena po meri i obojena u beloThe door is made to measure and painted white
- Роба је отпремљена у четвртак, а рачун је плаћен ранијеRoba je otpremljena u četvrtak, a račun je plaćen ranijeThe goods were shipped on Thursday, and the bill was paid earlier
- Кућа се гради две године, а суседна је већ изграђенаKuća se gradi dve godine, a susedna je već izgrađenaThe house has been going up for two years, and the neighbor's is already built
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
Izrađen, obnovljen, zašiljen: how does it work in Serbian?
This unit describes things through what was done to them: the item izrađen — made, the facade obnovljen — renovated, the pole tip zašiljen — sharpened, the cargo otpremljen — shipped. This is the passive participle, and in Serbian it is not a piece of a verb phrase but a full adjective: it…
What does it look like in an example sentence Serbian?
“Врата су израђена по мери и обојена у бело” (Vrata su izrađena po meri i obojena u belo) — The door is made to measure and painted white. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.