Lesson Goals

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

• Understand the functions of the Genitive case in Serbian
• Recognize genitive endings for singular and plural nouns
• Use genitive for possession, quantities, and absence
• Combine genitive with common prepositions

1. Function of the Genitive

The genitive case is used for:

1. Possession — showing that something belongs to someone
2. Quantity / partitive — indicating “of” something
3. Absence / lack — expressing something missing
4. After many prepositions

Questions: koga? (of whom?) / čega? (of what?)

Examples:

• Ovo je knjiga Ane. — This is Ana’s book. (possession)
• Čaša mleka. — A glass of milk. (quantity)
• Nema vremena. — There is no time. (absence)

2. Genitive Endings – Singular