CSV entry 22 is that as a conjunction: the word that turns a whole sentence into the object of a verb. I know that you're here, they say that it's cold, I'm glad that you came. Lesson 13 took that as a relative, joining a clause to a noun; this lesson takes the other that, which joins a clause to a verb of saying, thinking, knowing or feeling.
Serbian does this with да — the same small word that Lesson 12 used in place of the infinitive, now doing its other job. Знам да си ту: I know that you're here. Кажу да је хладно: they say it's cold. Almost every verb of saying, thinking, believing, hoping and knowing takes a да clause, and so do impersonal expressions such as јасно је да (it's clear that) and изгледа да (it seems that).
Two rivals divide the territory with it. After expressions of feeling — драго ми је, жао ми је, добро је — Serbian prefers што, which presents the clause as a fact already established: драго ми је што си дошао, I'm glad (that) you came. After verbs of perception, како describes an event witnessed as it happened: чуо сам како свира, I heard him playing.
English can drop that — I know you're here — and Serbian never can. And English shifts the tense in reported speech — he said he was coming — where Serbian keeps the tense the speaker used: рекао је да долази, literally he said that he is coming.
Key Takeaways
- да is the ordinary conjunction after verbs of saying, thinking and knowing: мислим да, кажу да, знам да - It can never be left out, as English that can - No comma before да when it introduces what is said or thought - No sequence of tenses: the да clause keeps the tense of the original statement - што after feeling: драго ми је што, жао ми је што — the clause is taken as fact - како after perception: чуо сам како свира — an event witnessed - то што and чињеница да turn a clause into a noun: то што ћути (the fact that he's silent)
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
22.1a Знам I-know да that си you-are ту here 22.1b Znam (znahm) I-know da (dah) that si (see) you-are tu (too) here
22.2a Мислим I-think да that пада falls киша rain 22.2b Mislim (MEES-leem) I-think da (dah) that pada (PA-da) falls kiša (KEE-sha) rain
22.3a Кажу they-say да that је is хладно cold-NEUT 22.3b Kažu (KA-zhoo) they-say da (dah) that je (yeh) is hladno (HLAD-no) cold-NEUT
22.4a Драго glad-NEUT ми me-DAT је is што that си you-are дошао come-MASC 22.4b Drago (DRA-go) glad-NEUT mi (mee) me-DAT je (yeh) is što (shtoh) that si (see) you-are došao (DO-sha-o) come-MASC
22.5a Чуо heard-MASC сам I-am како how пева sings 22.5b Čuo (CHOO-o) heard-MASC sam (sahm) I-am kako (KA-ko) how peva (PE-va) sings
22.6a Рекао said-MASC је is да that ће will доћи come-INF сутра tomorrow 22.6b Rekao (RE-ka-o) said-MASC je (yeh) is da (dah) that će (cheh) will doći (DO-chee) come-INF sutra (SOO-tra) tomorrow
22.7a Нисам I-am-not знао known-MASC да that имаш you-have сестру sister-ACC 22.7b Nisam (NEE-sahm) I-am-not znao (ZNA-o) known-MASC da (dah) that imaš (EE-mash) you-have sestru (SES-troo) sister-ACC
22.8a Жао sorry ми me-DAT је is што that нисам I-am-not могао been-able-MASC да to дођем I-come 22.8b Žao (ZHA-o) sorry mi (mee) me-DAT je (yeh) is što (shtoh) that nisam (NEE-sahm) I-am-not mogao (MO-ga-o) been-able-MASC da (dah) to dođem (DO-jem) I-come
22.9a Надам I-hope се REFL да that ћеш you-will ми me-DAT опростити forgive-INF 22.9b Nadam (NA-dahm) I-hope se (seh) REFL da (dah) that ćeš (chesh) you-will mi (mee) me-DAT oprostiti (o-PROS-tee-tee) forgive-INF
22.10a Сигуран sure-MASC сам I-am да that је is то that била been-FEM она she 22.10b Siguran (SEE-goo-rahn) sure-MASC sam (sahm) I-am da (dah) that je (yeh) is to (toh) that bila (BEE-la) been-FEM ona (O-na) she
22.11a Био been-MASC је is толико so уморан tired-MASC да that је is заспао fallen-asleep-MASC у in возу train-LOC 22.11b Bio (BEE-o) been-MASC je (yeh) is toliko (TO-lee-ko) so umoran (OO-mo-rahn) tired-MASC da (dah) that je (yeh) is zaspao (ZAS-pa-o) fallen-asleep-MASC u (oo) in vozu (VO-zoo) train-LOC
22.12a Питала asked-FEM је is да whether ли Q смо we-are разумели understood-PL лекцију lesson-ACC 22.12b Pitala (PEE-ta-la) asked-FEM je (yeh) is da (dah) whether li (lee) Q smo (smo) we-are razumeli (ra-zoo-ME-lee) understood-PL lekciju (LEK-tsee-yoo) lesson-ACC
22.13a Било been-NEUT је is јасно clear-NEUT да that нико nobody не not жели wants да to прича talks о about томе that-LOC 22.13b Bilo (BEE-lo) been-NEUT je (yeh) is jasno (YAS-no) clear-NEUT da (dah) that niko (NEE-ko) nobody ne (neh) not želi (ZHE-lee) wants da (dah) to priča (PREE-cha) talks o (o) about tome (TO-me) that-LOC
22.14a То that што that ћути he-is-silent не not значи means да that се REFL слаже agrees 22.14b To (toh) that što (shtoh) that ćuti (CHOO-tee) he-is-silent ne (neh) not znači (ZNA-chee) means da (dah) that se (seh) REFL slaže (SLA-zhe) agrees
22.15a Ко who каже says да that је is лако easy-NEUT тај that-one није is-not пробао tried-MASC 22.15b Ko (ko) who kaže (KA-zhe) says da (dah) that je (yeh) is lako (LA-ko) easy-NEUT taj (tai) that-one nije (NEE-ye) is-not probao (PRO-ba-o) tried-MASC
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
22.1 Знам да си ту. "I know you're here."
22.2 Мислим да пада киша. "I think it's raining."
22.3 Кажу да је хладно. "They say it's cold."
22.4 Драго ми је што си дошао. "I'm glad you came."
22.5 Чуо сам како пева. "I heard her singing."
22.6 Рекао је да ће доћи сутра. "He said he would come tomorrow."
22.7 Нисам знао да имаш сестру. "I didn't know you had a sister."
22.8 Жао ми је што нисам могао да дођем. "I'm sorry I couldn't come."
22.9 Надам се да ћеш ми опростити. "I hope you'll forgive me."
22.10 Сигуран сам да је то била она. "I'm sure it was her."
22.11 Био је толико уморан да је заспао у возу. "He was so tired that he fell asleep on the train."
22.12 Питала је да ли смо разумели лекцију. "She asked whether we had understood the lesson."
22.13 Било је јасно да нико не жели да прича о томе. "It was clear that nobody wanted to talk about it."
22.14 То што ћути не значи да се слаже. "The fact that he says nothing doesn't mean he agrees."
22.15 Ко каже да је лако, тај није пробао. "Whoever says it's easy has never tried."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
22.1 Знам да си ту.
22.2 Мислим да пада киша.
22.3 Кажу да је хладно.
22.4 Драго ми је што си дошао.
22.5 Чуо сам како пева.
22.6 Рекао је да ће доћи сутра.
22.7 Нисам знао да имаш сестру.
22.8 Жао ми је што нисам могао да дођем.
22.9 Надам се да ћеш ми опростити.
22.10 Сигуран сам да је то била она.
22.11 Био је толико уморан да је заспао у возу.
22.12 Питала је да ли смо разумели лекцију.
22.13 Било је јасно да нико не жели да прича о томе.
22.14 То што ћути не значи да се слаже.
22.15 Ко каже да је лако, тај није пробао.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
These are the rules for да and што as the conjunction that.
1. Да after saying, thinking and knowing. A clause that reports what someone says, thinks, knows, believes, hopes or fears is introduced by да:
saying: кажу да, рекао је да, пише да, јавили су да thinking: мислим да, верујем да, сумњам да knowing: знам да, видим да, сећам се да, заборавио сам да hoping and fearing: надам се да, бојим се да impersonal: јасно је да, изгледа да, чини ми се да, истина је да
Grammarians call these изричне реченице — declarative clauses. The verb inside them is an ordinary indicative in any tense.
2. It is never omitted. English says I know you're here; Serbian must say знам да си ту. There is no Serbian equivalent of the dropped that.
3. No sequence of tenses. English moves reported speech one step into the past: she said she was tired. Serbian keeps the tense of the original words:
Каже да је уморна. — She says she's tired. Рекла је да је уморна. — She said she was tired. (she said: I am tired) Рекла је да је била уморна. — She said she had been tired. (she said: I was tired) Рекла је да ће бити уморна. — She said she would be tired. (she said: I will be tired)
The rule is simple once it is trusted: put back the tense she actually used.
4. Statement or wish. The same да introduces two different things. With a verb of saying and an indicative, it reports a statement; with a verb that asks, orders or wants, and a present tense, it is the да of Lesson 12 and reports a wish:
Кажи му да долазим. — Tell him (that) I'm coming. Кажи му да дође. — Tell him to come.
The difference lies in the verb inside the clause — a statement in any tense against a present expressing what should happen — and it is clear in context.
5. Што after feeling. After expressions of emotion — драго ми је, жао ми је, срећан сам, љут сам, добро је, штета је — Serbian prefers што. The clause is presented as a fact the speaker is reacting to:
Драго ми је што си дошао. — I'm glad you came. Жао ми је што нисам могао да дођем. — I'm sorry I couldn't come. Добро је што није бубањ. — It's a good thing it isn't the drums.
Драго ми је да си дошао is also correct, and some speakers use it; што is the more usual choice, and the safer one for a learner.
6. Како after perception. With видети, чути, гледати, посматрати, a clause with како describes an event seen or heard as it was happening:
Чуо сам како пева. — I heard her singing. Гледао сам како деца играју фудбал. — I watched the children playing football.
With да the same verbs report something realised rather than witnessed: видео сам да су врата отворена — I saw that the door was open — is a conclusion drawn, not a scene watched.
7. Turning a clause into a noun. A да or што clause cannot itself stand as the subject of a sentence or follow a preposition. Serbian props it up with то or with a noun:
То што ћути не значи да се слаже. — The fact that he says nothing doesn't mean he agrees. Чињеница да ћути ништа не значи. — The fact that he says nothing means nothing. Говорили смо о томе да се селимо. — We talked about moving.
The то declines as the preposition requires — о томе да, због тога што, уместо тога да — and the clause follows it unchanged.
8. So … that. A result clause after толико, тако, такав also takes да:
Био је толико уморан да је заспао у возу. — He was so tired that he fell asleep on the train. Тако је говорио да га нико није разумео. — He spoke in such a way that nobody understood him.
9. The other да. By now да has appeared in five roles. Context always separates them:
yes: Да, знам. the conjunction that: Знам да си ту. the infinitive substitute of Lesson 12: Хоћу да идем. whether, with ли: Питала је да ли смо разумели. if in an unreal condition: Да сам знао, дошао бих. — If I had known, I'd have come.
10. Punctuation. A declarative да, што or како clause following its verb takes no comma: знам да си ту, драго ми је што си дошао. This is the opposite of German and a frequent error for learners who know it.
Common Mistakes
Dropping the conjunction: *знам си ту. Say знам да си ту.
Shifting the tense as English does: рекао је да је био уморан means he said he had been tired. For he said he was tired, say рекао је да је уморан.
Using што after verbs of thinking: *мислим што. Say мислим да; што belongs to feeling.
Confusing што the conjunction with шта the question word: драго ми је што си дошао, but шта си рекао?
Putting a comma before да: *кажу, да је хладно. Write кажу да је хладно.
Pushing the clitics further back in the да clause. Да itself fills first position, so the clitics come directly after it: надам се да ћеш ми опростити, not *надам се да опростити ћеш ми.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Кажу да — they say that — opens more Serbian sentences than any English speaker would expect. It introduces rumour, received wisdom, weather forecasts and folk medicine alike: кажу да ће бити топла зима, кажу да је ракија добра за грло. Nobody asks who they are. A Serbian conversation passes news along a chain of кажу да and чуо сам да, and the grammar of the chain is the grammar of this lesson.
Није да — it's not that — is the courteous way to refuse or qualify: није да не волим, it's not that I don't like it; није да нисам покушао, it's not as if I haven't tried. The double negative softens the statement; the full sense arrives in the али that usually follows.
Драго ми је is also the formula said on being introduced — pleased to meet you — and the reply is и мени. Extended with што, it becomes the ordinary way of thanking someone for coming: драго ми је што сте дошли.
Жао ми је што expresses regret about something that has happened; извини or извините is the quick apology of the moment. A Serbian speaker who missed your party will say жао ми је што нисам могао да дођем.
Finally, што has a long literary life as the conjunction of grief and remorse. The Section F citation opens a famous poem with it: a request for forgiveness, and што introducing the thing forgiven.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
The first stanza of Santa Maria della Salute, Лаза Костић, published in 1909 (Песме, Novi Sad: Matica srpska, 1909, p. 438). The poem was begun after Kostić's visit to Venice in 1891 and completed near the end of his life; it is read as his lament for Lenka Dunđerski, the young woman he loved and did not marry, who died in 1895. It is addressed to the Virgin, to whom the great Venetian church of the title is dedicated, and it opens with a plea for forgiveness whose object is a што clause.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Опрости forgive-IMP мајко mother-VOC света holy-FEM опрости forgive-IMP F.1b Oprosti (o-PROS-tee) forgive-IMP majko (MAI-ko) mother-VOC sveta (SVE-ta) holy-FEM oprosti (o-PROS-tee) forgive-IMP
F.2a што that наших our-GEN.PL гора mountains-GEN.PL пожалих I-grudged-AOR бор pine-ACC F.2b što (shtoh) that naših (NA-sheeh) our-GEN.PL gora (GO-ra) mountains-GEN.PL požalih (PO-zha-leeh) I-grudged-AOR bor (bor) pine-ACC
F.3a на on ком which-LOC се REFL устук remedy свакоје every-GEN.FEM злости evil-GEN F.3b na (nah) on kom (kom) which-LOC se (seh) REFL ustuk (OOS-took) remedy svakoje (SVA-ko-ye) every-GEN.FEM zlosti (ZLOS-tee) evil-GEN
F.4a блаженој blessed-DAT.FEM теби you-DAT подиже raises двор palace F.4b blaženoj (BLA-zhe-noy) blessed-DAT.FEM tebi (TE-bee) you-DAT podiže (PO-dee-zhe) raises dvor (dvor) palace
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Опрости, мајко света, опрости, што наших гора пожалих бор, на ком се, устук свакоје злости, блаженој теби подиже двор;
"Forgive, holy mother, forgive that I begrudged the pine of our mountains, on which — a remedy against every evil — a palace rises to you, the blessed one;"
F-C: Original Only
Опрости, мајко света, опрости, што наших гора пожалих бор, на ком се, устук свакоје злости, блаженој теби подиже двор;
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
Опрости … што (F.1–2) — the structure of Section D §5. Опростити is a verb of feeling as much as of action, and what is forgiven stands in a што clause presented as fact: the speaker does not say if I begrudged, but that I did. Modern speech uses exactly the same construction: опрости што касним, sorry I'm late.
Мајко света — the vocative of мајка, with света (holy) following it, as adjectives often do in address and in verse. The form is ambiguous on the page: света is also the genitive of свет (world), and some readers take the line as mother of the world. Both titles belong to the Virgin, and the ambiguity may be deliberate.
Пожалих is the aorist, first person singular, of пожалити. The verb means both to grieve for and to begrudge, to be unwilling to give up: није пожалио труда, he spared no effort. Here the speaker asks forgiveness for having grudged the pine — for not having given it up freely. The aorist, rare in modern speech, is the usual tense of a completed event in verse, and its -х ending (пожалих, рекох, дођох) marks the first person.
Наших гора бор — genitive before its noun, a poetic order; prose would say бор наших гора, the pine of our mountains. Гора is the older word for a wooded mountain. The poem makes the pine the ground on which the church stands; Santa Maria della Salute, like much of Venice, rests on timber piles driven into the lagoon.
На ком — the short form of the locative of који, relative pronoun of Lesson 13, referring back to бор. Modern prose writes на коме or на којем.
Устук свакоје злости — устук is a counter-remedy, an antidote against something. Свакоје is an older, extended genitive feminine of сваки; the modern form is сваке. The phrase stands in apposition, set off by commas: the palace itself is the remedy against every evil — and the title, Salute, means health.
Подиже се — present of подизати with се: is raised, rises. The reflexive here does the work of an English passive, and the subject двор comes last, at the end of the line and the stanza.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Part A — Intralinear Construed Text
22.16a Јеси are-you ли Q чула heard-FEM да that се REFL неко someone уселио moved-in-MASC на on трећи third спрат floor 22.16b Jesi (YE-see) are-you li (lee) Q čula (CHOO-la) heard-FEM da (dah) that se (seh) REFL neko (NE-ko) someone uselio (oo-SE-lee-o) moved-in-MASC na (nah) on treći (TRE-chee) third sprat (spraht) floor
22.17a Чула heard-FEM сам I-am Кажу they-say да that је is неки some музичар musician 22.17b Čula (CHOO-la) heard-FEM sam (sahm) I-am Kažu (KA-zhoo) they-say da (dah) that je (yeh) is neki (NE-kee) some muzičar (MOO-zee-char) musician
22.18a Мени me-DAT је is домар caretaker рекао said-MASC да that је is лекар doctor 22.18b Meni (ME-nee) me-DAT je (yeh) is domar (DO-mar) caretaker rekao (RE-ka-o) said-MASC da (dah) that je (yeh) is lekar (LE-kar) doctor
22.19a Можда maybe је is и both једно one и and друго other Синоћ last-night сам I-am чула heard-FEM како how свира plays клавир piano-ACC 22.19b Možda (MOZH-da) maybe je (yeh) is i (ee) both jedno (YED-no) one i (ee) and drugo (DROO-go) other Sinoć (SEE-noch) last-night sam (sahm) I-am čula (CHOO-la) heard-FEM kako (KA-ko) how svira (SVEE-ra) plays klavir (KLA-veer) piano-ACC
22.20a Добро good-NEUT је is што that није is-not бубањ drum 22.20b Dobro (DO-bro) good-NEUT je (yeh) is što (shtoh) that nije (NEE-ye) is-not bubanj (BOO-bahny) drum
22.21a Госпођа Mrs Весна Vesna мисли thinks да that живи lives сам alone-MASC 22.21b Gospođa (GOS-po-ja) Mrs Vesna (VES-na) Vesna misli (MEES-lee) thinks da (dah) that živi (ZHEE-vee) lives sam (sahm) alone-MASC
22.22a Не not верујем I-believe да that живи lives сам alone-MASC Видела seen-FEM сам I-am да that на on вратима door-LOC.PL стоје stand два two презимена surnames-GEN 22.22b Ne (neh) not verujem (VE-roo-yem) I-believe da (dah) that živi (ZHEE-vee) lives sam (sahm) alone-MASC Videla (VEE-de-la) seen-FEM sam (sahm) I-am da (dah) that na (nah) on vratima (VRA-tee-ma) door-LOC.PL stoje (STO-ye) stand dva (dvah) two prezimena (PRE-zee-me-na) surnames-GEN
22.23a Значи means да that је is ожењен married-MASC 22.23b Znači (ZNA-chee) means da (dah) that je (yeh) is oženjen (O-zhe-nyen) married-MASC
22.24a Или or да that живи lives с with братом brother-INST Ко who зна knows 22.24b Ili (EE-lee) or da (dah) that živi (ZHEE-vee) lives s (s) with bratom (BRA-tom) brother-INST Ko (ko) who zna (znah) knows
22.25a Жао sorry ми me-DAT је is што that га him-ACC још yet нисам I-am-not упознала met-FEM 22.25b Žao (ZHA-o) sorry mi (mee) me-DAT je (yeh) is što (shtoh) that ga (gah) him-ACC još (yosh) yet nisam (NEE-sahm) I-am-not upoznala (oo-POZ-na-la) met-FEM
22.26a Мислила thought-FEM сам I-am да to му him-DAT однесем I-take питу pie-ACC али but нисам I-am-not сигурна sure-FEM да whether ли Q једе eats слатко sweet-NEUT 22.26b Mislila (MEES-lee-la) thought-FEM sam (sahm) I-am da (dah) to mu (moo) him-DAT odnesem (OD-ne-sem) I-take pitu (PEE-too) pie-ACC ali (A-lee) but nisam (NEE-sahm) I-am-not sigurna (SEE-goor-na) sure-FEM da (dah) whether li (lee) Q jede (YE-de) eats slatko (SLAT-ko) sweet-NEUT
22.27a Однеси take-IMP Сви all кажу say да that твоју your-ACC.FEM питу pie-ACC нико nobody не not одбија refuses 22.27b Odnesi (OD-ne-see) take-IMP Svi (svee) all kažu (KA-zhoo) say da (dah) that tvoju (TVO-yoo) your-ACC.FEM pitu (PEE-too) pie-ACC niko (NEE-ko) nobody ne (neh) not odbija (OD-bee-ya) refuses
22.28a Ево here-is га him-ACC силази comes-down Изгледа it-seems да that нас us-ACC је is чуо heard-MASC 22.28b Evo (E-vo) here-is ga (gah) him-ACC silazi (SEE-la-zee) comes-down Izgleda (EEZ-gle-da) it-seems da (dah) that nas (nahs) us-ACC je (yeh) is čuo (CHOO-o) heard-MASC
22.29a Добар good дан day комшинице neighbours-VOC.FEM Драго glad-NEUT ми me-DAT је is што that сам I-am вас you-ACC обе both-FEM затекао found-MASC 22.29b Dobar (DO-bar) good dan (dahn) day komšinice (KOM-shee-nee-tse) neighbours-VOC.FEM Drago (DRA-go) glad-NEUT mi (mee) me-DAT je (yeh) is što (shtoh) that sam (sahm) I-am vas (vahs) you-ACC obe (O-be) both-FEM zatekao (ZA-te-ka-o) found-MASC
22.30a Хтео wanted-MASC сам I-am да to вам you-DAT кажем I-say да that ја I свирам play а and жена wife ми me-DAT је is лекарка doctor-FEM 22.30b Hteo (HTE-o) wanted-MASC sam (sahm) I-am da (dah) to vam (vahm) you-DAT kažem (KA-zhem) I-say da (dah) that ja (yah) I sviram (SVEE-rahm) play a (ah) and žena (ZHE-na) wife mi (mee) me-DAT je (yeh) is lekarka (LE-kar-ka) doctor-FEM
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Part B — Natural Sentences
22.16 — Јеси ли чула да се неко уселио на трећи спрат? "Have you heard that someone's moved in on the third floor?"
22.17 — Чула сам. Кажу да је неки музичар. "I have. They say he's some kind of musician."
22.18 — Мени је домар рекао да је лекар. "The caretaker told me he's a doctor."
22.19 — Можда је и једно и друго. Синоћ сам чула како свира клавир. "Maybe he's both. Last night I heard him playing the piano."
22.20 — Добро је што није бубањ. "Just as well it isn't the drums."
22.21 — Госпођа Весна мисли да живи сам. "Mrs Vesna thinks he lives alone."
22.22 — Не верујем да живи сам. Видела сам да на вратима стоје два презимена. "I don't believe he lives alone. I saw there are two surnames on the door."
22.23 — Значи да је ожењен. "That means he's married."
22.24 — Или да живи с братом. Ко зна. "Or that he lives with his brother. Who knows."
22.25 — Жао ми је што га још нисам упознала. "I'm sorry I haven't met him yet."
22.26 — Мислила сам да му однесем питу, али нисам сигурна да ли једе слатко. "I was thinking of taking him a pie, but I'm not sure whether he eats sweet things."
22.27 — Однеси. Сви кажу да твоју питу нико не одбија. "Take it. Everyone says nobody ever turns down your pie."
22.28 — Ево га, силази! Изгледа да нас је чуо. "Here he is, coming down! Looks like he heard us."
22.29 — Добар дан, комшинице. Драго ми је што сам вас обе затекао. "Good afternoon, ladies. I'm glad I've caught you both."
22.30 — Хтео сам да вам кажем да ја свирам, а жена ми је лекарка. "I wanted to tell you that I'm the one who plays — and my wife is the doctor."
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Part C — Target Language Only
22.16 — Јеси ли чула да се неко уселио на трећи спрат?
22.17 — Чула сам. Кажу да је неки музичар.
22.18 — Мени је домар рекао да је лекар.
22.19 — Можда је и једно и друго. Синоћ сам чула како свира клавир.
22.20 — Добро је што није бубањ.
22.21 — Госпођа Весна мисли да живи сам.
22.22 — Не верујем да живи сам. Видела сам да на вратима стоје два презимена.
22.23 — Значи да је ожењен.
22.24 — Или да живи с братом. Ко зна.
22.25 — Жао ми је што га још нисам упознала.
22.26 — Мислила сам да му однесем питу, али нисам сигурна да ли једе слатко.
22.27 — Однеси. Сви кажу да твоју питу нико не одбија.
22.28 — Ево га, силази! Изгледа да нас је чуо.
22.29 — Добар дан, комшинице. Драго ми је што сам вас обе затекао.
22.30 — Хтео сам да вам кажем да ја свирам, а жена ми је лекарка.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Part D — Grammar Notes for the Dialogue
Gossip on a staircase is reported speech from beginning to end, and so it is built almost entirely out of да clauses: who said what, who thinks what, who heard what.
Јеси ли чула да (22.16) — a yes-no question with ли in the main clause and a declarative да in the subordinate one. The two do not interfere: the question is about the hearing, the да clause is what was heard.
Кажу да, рекао је да, мисли да (22.17, 22.18, 22.21) — three verbs of report, three present tenses inside the clauses. Мени је домар рекао да је лекар: the caretaker said he is a doctor, and Serbian keeps је where English, after told me, would drift to was. Section D §3 in action.
Чула сам како свира (22.19) against видела сам да … стоје два презимена (22.22) — the contrast of Section D §6. The piano was heard as it was being played; the surnames were seen and a conclusion drawn from them.
Добро је што није бубањ (22.20) — што after an evaluative expression, the fact reacted to. Жао ми је што га још нисам упознала (22.25) is the same pattern with regret.
Значи да and изгледа да (22.23, 22.28) — impersonal main verbs with no subject of their own, the whole sentence resting on the да clause. Или да живи с братом (22.24) continues the previous line with the main verb understood: or (it means) that he lives with his brother.
Мислила сам да му однесем питу (22.26) — not a declarative да but the да of Lesson 12. Мислити да with a present tense here means to intend to, and the speaker is not reporting a belief but a plan. In the same line да ли једе слатко is whether: two uses of да in one sentence, neither of them this lesson's.
Твоју питу нико не одбија (22.27) — the object fronted inside the да clause for emphasis, which Serbian word order allows freely; да stays first, and everything after it can move.
Хтео сам да вам кажем да ја свирам (22.30) — the closing line has both at once: the first да is the infinitive substitute after хтети, the second the declarative conjunction after казати. The pronoun ја, usually omitted, is here because it is contrastive (Lesson 21): I am the one who plays.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
да (da): dah. A clean open a, never the English duh. As a conjunction it is unstressed and runs straight into the following word: знам да си ту is znahm da-see-too. As yes it carries full stress and can be drawn out.
што (što): shtoh. The cluster шт — sh followed immediately by t — begins the word, as in English ashtray with the first syllable removed. English speakers tend to insert a vowel (shuh-toh); there is none.
како (kako): KA-ko. Stress on the first syllable. Both к sounds are unaspirated — softer than English k in cake, with no puff of breath.
жао (žao): ZHA-o. Two syllables, not one: the а and о do not merge into a diphthong. Ж is the s in measure.
драго (drago): DRA-go. The р is a single tap of the tongue, as in Scottish or Spanish r.
ћути (ćuti): CHOO-tee. Ћ is softer and further forward than English ch — the tongue flat against the hard palate. Distinguish it from ч in чула (CHOO-la), which is harder and further back; many speakers merge the two, but the standard keeps them apart.
мислим (mislim): MEES-leem. The сл cluster needs no vowel between; the stress is on the first syllable.
комшинице (komšinice): KOM-shee-nee-tse. Ц is ts as in cats, and final -е is always pronounced, never silent.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
---
Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)