In this lesson, we will consider two aspects of Serbian verbs and Serbian reflexive verbs. This subject is very important because this is the very base of the language.
In the previous lessons on the Serbian language, we considered verbs without their aspect. This time we will consider the difference between imperfective and perfective verbs. I will try to give the simplest explanation of their difference.
Imperfective verbs describe a process of an action
Perfective verbs describe a result of an action
Imperfective and perfective verbs differ either by different endings or by prefixes. It is almost impossible to guess what the perfective/imperfective form of a verb looks like without knowing it, so here is the recommendation: learn new verbs, learning their imperfective and perfective form at the same time.
Also, the perfective form is used only in the past and future tense.
Let’s consider some verbs:
| Imperfective form | Perfective form | |
| Čuvati | Sačuvati | To save |
| Paliti | Zapaliti | To set on fire |
| Raditi | Uraditi | To do |
| Kupovati | Kupiti | To buy |
| Zvati | Pozvati | To call |
| Pisati | Napisati | To write |
| Piti | Popiti | To drink |
| Stavljati | Staviti | To put |
| Igrati | Odigrati | To play |
And let’s consider some sentences with explanations:
Šta su oni uradili juče? – What did they do yesterday? (juče – yesterday). Uraditi – to do, perfective form is used, because it describes the result of the action “to do”.
Šta su oni radili juče? – What did they do yesterday? Raditi – to do, the imperfective form used, because it describes the process of the action “to do”.
Da li ćeš kupiti nešto u prodavnici? – Will you buy something in the store? Kupiti – to buy, perfective form is used, because it describes the result of the action “to buy”.
Da li ćeš kupovati nešto u prodavnici? – Will you buy something in the store? Kupovati – to buy, imperfective form is used, in this sentence, it describes the process of the action “to buy”.
Ja sam sačuvao ovaj fajl – I have saved this file. Sačuvati – to save, perfective form is used because it describes the result.
Reflexive verbs
There are no reflexive verbs in English, but if your native language has them – it must be easy for you. The sense of reflexive verbs is that a performer and receiver of an action are the same: one performs an action on oneself. For example “I wash myself”, “He prepares himself” and so on.
Serbian reflexive verbs can be perfective and imperfective as well, the only difference is the particle “se” after the infinitive form:
Vratiti – to return/to come back
Vratiti se – to return oneself
Čistiti – to clean
Čistiti se – to clean oneself
Zvati* – to call
Zvati se* – to call oneself
And this particle “se” in sentences with verbs not in infinitive form is placed before the verb:
Ja se zovem – My name is (literally: I call myself)
*-Zvati – irregular verb, stem in present tense ZOV-
Examples
Ona se zove Mara – Her name is Mara (literally: She calls herself Mara)
Ja sam se probudio u šest sati – I woke up at 6 o’clock
Zašto se žališ? – Why do you complain?
Tuširaću se sada – I will take a shower now
Nadam se da oni neće smetati nama – I hope that they won’t disturb us
Kada se vraćate kući? – When are you coming back home?
Moja sestra će se venčati sa mojim prijateljem – My sister will marry my friend
Ko je stvorio ovaj sistem? – Who created this system?
Slikar je nacrtao lepu sliku – The artist has drawn a beautiful picture
Ja sam kupio mnogo hrane u prodavnici – I have bought a lot of food in the store
Vešmašina će da se pokvari uskoro – The washing machine will break down soon
Vocabulary
| žaliti se – to complainprobuditi se – to wake upnadati se – to hopevenčati se – to get married
tuširati se(imp.)/istuširati se(perf) – to take a shower stvarati(imp.)/stvoriti(perf.) – to create smetati – to disturb crtati(imp.)/nacrtati(perf.) – to draw kupovati(imp.)/kupiti(perf.) – to buy pokvariti se – to get broken šest – six kuća – home prodavnica – store hrana – food |
Exercises
Decide whether you have to use the imperfective or perfective form and conjugate it appropriately
- Jabuka ______________ sa drveta (PADATI(imp.)/PASTI(perf.) – to fall) – An apple has fallen from the tree
- Kada _______________ da sviraš gitaru? (POČINJATI(imp.)/POČETI(perf.) – to start) – When did you start to play the guitar?
- Koliko novca ćeš da _____________________ za one kurseve? (TROŠITI/POTROŠITI – to spend) – How much money will you spend on those courses?
- Nikada __________________________ za reklamu mog proizvoda (PLAĆATI(imp.)/PLATITI(perf.) – to pay) – I have never paid for advertising my product
- Možda _________________ novi film večeras? (GLEDATI/POGLEDATI – to watch) – Maybe we will watch the new film tonight?
Use the appropriate form of reflexive verbs
- Ova reč ___ ne __________ tako kao što ___ __________ (ČITATI SE – to be read, PISATI SE – to be written) – This word is not read the way it is written
- Knjige _________________ u štamparijama (ŠTAMPATI SE – to be printed) – Books are printed in printing houses
- Zašto ___ ova vrata ne _________ (ZATVARATI SE – to close) – Why doesn’t this door close?
- Kako to ___________________ na ruskom jeziku? (KAZATI SE – to be said) – How is it said in the Russian language?
- Viktor ___________________ brzo (OBLAČITI SE – to get dressed) – Viktor gets dressed quickly
- Mi smo odlučili da _______________(VENČATI SE – to get married) – We have decided to get married
Answers
1: je pala; 2: si počeo; 3: potrošiš; 4: nisam platio; 5: pogledaćemo; 6: se, čita, se, piše, 7: se štampaju; 8: se, zatvaraju; 9: se kaže; 10: se oblači, 11: se venčamo