Lesson Goals

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Use the default SVO word order in Serbian
• Form negative sentences
• Ask yes–no and WH-questions
• Use emphasis by changing word order
• Omit the subject when it is clear from the verb form

1. Default Word Order: SVO

Serbian’s default sentence structure is:

SVO = Subject – Verb – Object

Examples:

• Ja čitam knjigu. — I read a book.
• Ti pišeš pismo. — You write a letter.
• On pije vodu. — He drinks water.

For subject–verb agreement details, see Lesson 4: Present Tense.

For verb–object pairing and the accusative case, see Lesson 10: Accusative Case.

2. Negation

Negatives are formed by placing ne before the verb.

• Ne čitam knjigu. — I am not reading a book.