Serbian Verb (Past Tense)
Learning Serbian grammar can be fun and straightforward once you grasp the basics. In this post, we’ll explore the Past Tense in Serbian.
How the Serbian Past Tense Works
Unlike the Present and Future tenses, the Serbian Past Tense doesn’t change based on who is doing the action. Instead, it changes based on the gender of the person performing the action. Knowing the gender is essential for mastering the past tense.
What You Need to Know First
Before diving into the Past Tense, make sure you’re familiar with:
- Personal Pronouns (I, you, he, she, etc.)
- Auxiliary Verbs (like “to be”)
If you’re not sure about these, check out our Personal Pronouns Guide first.
How to Conjugate Verbs in the Past Tense
Serbian verbs in their basic form (infinitive) end with “-ti” or “-ći”. To change them into the past tense, follow these simple steps:
- Remove the “-ti” or “-ći” from the infinitive form.
- Add the appropriate ending based on the gender and number (singular or plural) of the subject.
Here are the endings you need to add:
| Gender | Singular Ending | Plural Ending |
| Masculine | -o | -li |
| Feminine | -la | -le |
| Neuter | -lo | -lo |
Notice that the endings are similar to the gender rules except for the masculine singular. If you need a refresher on gender, check it out in the Gender post.
In the Past Tense, you need to use either:
- Both the personal pronoun and the auxiliary verb, or
- Just the auxiliary verb
| English | Serbian | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |||
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | ||
| cook | kuvati | kuvao | kuvali | kuvala | kuvale | kuvalo | kuvala |
| watch | gledati | gledao | gledali | gledala | gledale | gledalo | gledala |
| work | raditi | radio | radili | radila | radile | radilo | radila |
| learn | učiti | učio | učili | učila | učile | učilo | učila |
Example:
He worked yesterday. – On je radio juče. / Radio je juče.
She worked yesterday. – Ona je radila juče. / Radila je juče.
We worked yesterday. (all males) – Mi smo radili juče. / Radili smo juče.
We worked yesterday. (all females) – Mi smo radile juče. / Radile smo juče.
As you can see, using the correct auxiliary verb is crucial in forming the Past Tense.
Key Points to Remember
- Learn Personal Pronouns and Auxiliary Verbs: These are essential for forming the Past Tense.
- Understand Serbian Genders: Knowing whether a subject is masculine, feminine, or neuter makes learning the Past Tense easier.
- Practice Verb Conjugation: The more you practice, the more natural it will become to use the Past Tense correctly.
Learning the Serbian Past Tense might seem challenging at first, but with the right steps and plenty of practice, it becomes much easier. Start by mastering personal pronouns and genders, then move on to conjugating verbs using the simple rules outlined above.
