Learning Serbian /Croatian/Bosnian

Thread: Learning Serbian /Croatian/Bosnian

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  1. Sochko's Avatar

    Sochko said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by impulssi View Post
    Just to not go off topic in this topic.

    Yeah, you're absolutely right about this ;-) Thanks, anyway!
    'I have a cane and I know how to use it.'
     
  2. Luby91's Avatar

    Luby91 said:

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    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian...age#Declension

    This might help with siffixes depending on the case

    i'm serbian myself but yet i do have trouble with grammar but i'm starting to overcome these problems.

    Though, i'm not sure, is Serbian/Croatian the only language with cases or does polish, czech etc. have 7 also. I know Russian has 6. and Bulgarian and Macedonian don't have them. Just curious
     
  3. Lydia_the angel's Avatar

    Lydia_the angel said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by Luby91 View Post
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian...age#Declension

    This might help with siffixes depending on the case : )

    i'm serbian myself but yet i do have trouble with grammar but i'm starting to overcome these problems.

    Though, i'm not sure, is Serbian/Croatian the only language with cases or does polish, czech etc. have 7 also. I know Russian has 6. and Bulgarian and Macedonian don't have them. Just curious
    You are right! Declinations are confusing sometimes
    Regarding the Macedonian language the case declension is eliminated and the suffixed definite articles are developed instead.
    We pronounce decline for some case by using the subject and the direct object or the object of a preposition
    Only there are forms of remained vocative case
    We are lucky not having much difficulties with the cases
    The icon lamp has brighten the sky
    white aureole are knitting the angels for you
    your star extinguished, as soon as I found you, you left
    ***TOŠE FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS***
     
  4. Vlada's Avatar

    Vlada said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lydia_the angel View Post
    We are lucky not having much difficulties with the cases

    We don't have difficulties with the cases, foreigner does
     
  5. Vlada's Avatar

    Vlada said:

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    And about pronunciation - h is like h in Help... H is the smallest problem

    Ok, let's go on!



    INTRODUCING - UPOZNAVANJE

    - Hello, I'm Miloš! What's your name?
    - My name is John. I'm from ...Italy. Where are you from?
    - I'm from Serbia. How old are you. I'm twenty.
    - I'm twenty five. Nice to meet you.
    - Me too. Bye!
    - Bye!


    - Zdravo, Ja sam Miloš! Kako se ti zoveš?
    - Ja se zovem Džon. Ja sam iz Italije. Odakle si ti?
    - Ja sam iz Srbije. Koliko ti imaš godina? Ja imam dvadeset.
    - Ja imam dvadeset i pet. Drago mi je što smo se upoznali.
    - I meni takođe. Ćao!
    - Ćao!



    Formal

    - Dobar dan, ja sam Miloš! Kako se Vi zovete?
    - Ja se zovem Džon. Ja sam iz Italije. Odakle ste Vi?
    - Ja sam iz Srbije. Koliko Vi imate godina. Ja imam dvadeset.
    - Ja imam dvadeset i pet. Drago mi je što smo se upoznali.
    - I meni takođe. Doviđenja.
    - Doviđenja.
     
  6. impulssi said:

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    H isn't as in help. It only is when a foreigner from slavic origin is trying to pronounce the h of the english language.

    anyway like i said, just listen to the soundfile of hrvatska.
     
  7. Luby91's Avatar

    Luby91 said:

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    lol i just found out something, i donćt want to scare you, lol
    , but Serbian is harder than Chinese and Arabic.
    Chinese and Arabic you do have to learn an entire new way of writing but after conquering that the grammar is simple.... 3 cases and only one way of word order... not so complex as Serbian but yet i can't judge with other languages.
    poz
     
  8. NPazarka's Avatar

    NPazarka said:

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    Could be, depends on what languages you speak. Some people have no difficulties while learning, some do. Learning the Chinese alphabet seems like a lot of work and even if the language isn't that hard to learn, they made sure that the rest is .. Just out of curiousity I opened an Arabic book for learners .. I can say that it didn't look that easy as you claim ..
     
  9. Nene's Avatar

    Nene said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by Luby91 View Post
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian...age#Declension

    Though, i'm not sure, is Serbian/Croatian the only language with cases or does polish, czech etc. have 7 also. I know Russian has 6. and Bulgarian and Macedonian don't have them. Just curious
    I can confirm that Polish & Slovak have 6 cases. In the past there used to be Vocativ (as 7th case) in Slovak, but nowadays you can only find it in some old literature. Although in Czech it is stil used the same way as in Serbian.

    I also know for sure that it is as hard for the English native speakers to understand them cases as it is hard for us (Slavics) to understand the present perfect for the very first time.
     
  10. Luby91's Avatar

    Luby91 said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nene View Post
    I can confirm that Polish & Slovak have 6 cases. In the past there used to be Vocativ (as 7th case) in Slovak, but nowadays you can only find it in some old literature. Although in Czech it is stil used the same way as in Serbian.

    I also know for sure that it is as hard for the English native speakers to understand them cases as it is hard for us (Slavics) to understand the present perfect for the very first time.
    I find slavic Languages very very interesting they each have their own ways of speaking. Nad yeah i guess you're right. I'c currently studying German and it too also has a complex grammar system even though it has 4 cases. Each language is unique.

    But there is something is Serbian, which doesn't make sense to me.
    Bejah
    Bejaše
    Bejasmo
    Bejahu etc.

    I know what they mean but it doesn'y make sense to me when they're in a sentence.
     
  11. impulssi said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nene View Post
    I can confirm that Polish & Slovak have 6 cases. In the past there used to be Vocativ (as 7th case) in Slovak, but nowadays you can only find it in some old literature. Although in Czech it is stil used the same way as in Serbian.

    I also know for sure that it is as hard for the English native speakers to understand them cases as it is hard for us (Slavics) to understand the present perfect for the very first time.
    Ha well, the vocative case doesn't really add an extra difficulty, plus i find that the cases of serbo-croatian are easier to remember than that of Russian.

    Anyway serbo-croatian definitely isnt the hardest language to learn, not even the hardest european language, i think finnish could claim that title, with its 15 cases.

    There is even a language with 44 cases, i dunno in which cases those cases get use, but quite frankly i don't even want to know

    anyway what i find the hardest to learn in each language is the vocabulary, you have to know quit some words before you are able to do some small talk. Grammar you have to know to get started with but in the end you'll only get fluent enough with that when you talk a lot and for that you need the vocabulary.
     
  12. Sochko's Avatar

    Sochko said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by impulssi View Post

    anyway what i find the hardest to learn in each language is the vocabulary, you have to know quit some words before you are able to do some small talk. Grammar you have to know to get started with but in the end you'll only get fluent enough with that when you talk a lot and for that you need the vocabulary.
    I completely agree. I'd only say that vocabulary is very important, but not necessarily hardest in a language. Anyway, it is true that you have to spend more time in acquiring a good deal of vocabulary, whereas the grammar can take you only the time you need to master the rules and to get used to it. Regarding vocabulary, you never get enough of new words, synonyms, idioms, etc. That's what bothers me most when learning a foreign language. Especially if it is a language that is not even slightly similar to your native language, or to some of the languages you already speak. Spanish, for example, contains many words similar, if not equal, to the same words in English. And still, there are some that only resemble, but they do not mean the same, which can be very confusing. However, when Serbian is in question, it happens quite the opposite to me: since it is rather similar to Macedonian (my native language), I don't have problems with the vocabulary, but on the contrary - with the grammar, since my language does not contain grammar cases.
    And what is most interesting, I've asked many Serbians to tell me the suffixes for the cases, and none of them has the slightest idea of how they exactly follow! Logically, since it's their mother tongue, they speak it instinctively, without being obliged to struggle with cases, suffixes, blah blah blah, like I would have to do. ;P
    'I have a cane and I know how to use it.'
     
  13. Vlada's Avatar

    Vlada said:

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    You are talking about me, do you?
     
  14. Sochko's Avatar

    Sochko said:

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    Quote Originally Posted by Vlada View Post
    You are talking about me, do you?
    Haha, no, no, seriously, I really have talked to other Serbians and none of them knows the cases. Honestly, I was talking in general, wasn't referring to you.

    Хаха, Влада, многу си ми интересен, стварно умееш да ме насмееш. ;-D
    'I have a cane and I know how to use it.'
     
  15. Vlada's Avatar

    Vlada said:

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    Yes yes, само ја још увек не знам да ли си ти мушко или женско
    (намерно ово пишем на српском )
     
  16. Sochko's Avatar

    Sochko said:

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    Женско
    A штa има везе? ;-)
    'I have a cane and I know how to use it.'
     
  17. baskarukebaskanoge's Avatar

    baskarukebaskanoge said:

    Default first declension :)

    I'll help you with the suffixes for the cases.

    In Serbian language, there are 7 cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, vocative, instrumental and locative. If you need help with that, ask or look it up here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_grammatical_cases
    There are also 4 declensions. So, let's start!

    THE FIRST DECLENSION

    Words of the first declension are of masculine gender ending in consonant, -o and -e, or of neuter gender ending in -o and -e with base that doesn't change.

    Masculine gender

    (Living things)

    sg.

    1. učenik-/
    2. učenik-a
    3. učenik-u
    4. učenik-a
    5. učenič-e
    6. učenik-om
    7. učenik-u

    pl.

    1. učenic-i
    2. učenik-a
    3. učenic-ima
    4. učenik-e
    5. učenic-i
    6. učenic-ima
    7. učenic-ima

    sg.

    1. Slavk-o
    2. Slavk-a
    3. Slavk-u
    4. Slavk-a
    5. Slavk-o
    6. Slavk-om
    7. Slavk-u

    sg.

    1. Pavl-e
    2. Pavl-a
    3. Pavl-u
    4. Pavl-a
    5. Pavl-e
    6. Pavl-om
    7. Pavl-u

    (Non-living things)

    sg.

    1. prozor-/
    2. prozor-a
    3. prozor-u
    4. prozor-/
    5. prozor-e
    6. prozor-om
    7. prozor-u

    pl.

    1. prozor-i
    2. prozor-a
    3. prozor-ima
    4. prozor-e
    5. prozor-i
    6. prozor-ima
    7. prozor-ima

    Neuter gender

    sg.

    1. sel-o
    2. sel-a
    3. sel-u
    4. sel-o
    5. sel-o
    6. sel-om
    7. sel-u

    pl.

    1. sel-a
    2. sel-a
    3. sel-ima
    4. sel-a
    5. sel-a
    6. sel-ima
    7. sel-ima

    sg.

    1. polj-e
    2. polj-a
    3. polj-u
    4. polj-e
    5. polj-e
    6. polj-em
    7. polj-u

    pl.

    1. polj-a
    2. polj-a
    3. polj-ima
    4. polj-a
    5. polj-a
    6. polj-ima
    7. polj-ima
    Last edited by baskarukebaskanoge; 07-10-2008 at 07:47 AM.
     
  18. baskarukebaskanoge's Avatar

    baskarukebaskanoge said:

    Default second declension

    THE SECOND DECLENSION

    Words of the second declension are of neuter gender ending in -e. Bases of these words are extended with "n" or "t" in some cases.

    sg.

    1. ime
    2. imen-a
    3. imen-u
    4. ime
    5. ime
    6. imen-om
    7. imen-u

    pl.

    1. imen-a
    2. imen-a
    3. imen-ima
    4. imen-a
    5. imen-a
    6. imen-ima
    7. imen-ima

    sg.

    1. kube
    2. kubet-a
    3. kubet-u
    4. kube
    5. kube
    6. kubet-om
    7. kubet-u

    pl.

    1. kubet-a
    2. kubet-a
    3. kubet-ima
    4. kubet-a
    5. kubet-a
    6. kubet-ima
    7. kubet-ima


    Many nouns have plural forms that are of feminine gender (ending in consonant).

    1. (ta) burad
    2. (te) burad-i
    3. (toj) burad-i
    4. (tu) burad
    5. /
    6. (tom) burad-i
    7. (toj) burad-i

    Nouns like dete, ždrebe, tele, jagnje, pile (young living creatures) have only this kind of plural forms.
    Last edited by baskarukebaskanoge; 07-10-2008 at 07:49 AM.
     
  19. baskarukebaskanoge's Avatar

    baskarukebaskanoge said:

    Default

    THE THIRD DECLENSION

    Words of the third declension are ending in -a. They are of feminine and masculine gender.

    Feminine gender

    sg.

    1. žena
    2. žen-e
    3. žen-i
    4. žen-u
    5. žen-o
    6. žen-om
    7. žen-i

    pl.

    1. žen-e
    2. žen-a
    3. žen-ama
    4. žen-e
    5. žen-e
    6. žen-ama
    7. žen-ama

    Masculine gender

    sg.

    1. sudija
    2. sudij-e
    3. sudij-i
    4. sudij-u
    5. sudij-o/sudij-a
    6. sudij-om
    7. sudij-i

    pl.

    1. sudij-e
    2. sudij-a
    3. sudij-ama
    4. sudij-e
    5. sudij-e
    6. sudij-ama
    7. sudij-ama


    As you see, the suffixes are same for both feminine and masculine gender.

    Polysyllabic words of feminine gender ending in -ica have suffix -e instead of -o in vocative form.
    Last edited by baskarukebaskanoge; 07-09-2008 at 03:13 PM.
     
  20. baskarukebaskanoge's Avatar

    baskarukebaskanoge said:

    Default and finally...

    THE FOURTH DECLENSION

    Words of the fourth declension are of feminine gender ending in consonant.

    sg.

    1. stvar-/
    2. stvar-i
    3. stvar-i
    4. stvar-/
    5. stvar-i
    6. stvar-i/stvar-ju
    7. stvar-i

    pl.

    1. stvar-i
    2. stvar-i
    3. stvar-ima
    4. stvar-i
    5. stvar-i
    6. stvar-ima
    7. stvar-ima

    I think you will love the fourth declension best
    So, that's it. But it is not over. There are many exceptions, many alternations... If I find anything interesting, I'll write it. If you have any dilemmas, ask!