CSV entry 24 is they, the third person plural pronoun. Serbian has three words where English has one. Они is used for men, for masculine nouns, and for any mixed group. Оне is used for women and feminine nouns. Она is used for neuter plurals, and above all for children. Марко и Ана? Они су отишли: Marko and Ana? They've left. Сестре? Оне су код куће: My sisters? They're at home. Деца? Она спавају: The children? They're asleep.
As with ми in Lesson 21, the pronoun itself is often left out. The verb ending already says they: кажу, раде, читају, дошли су. Они is added for contrast or emphasis: ми радимо, а они се одмарају, we work, and they rest.
Once the pronoun leaves the nominative, gender disappears. Њих, њима and their short forms их and им serve all three genders. Видим их means I see them, whether them are men, women or children.
English uses they for people in general: they say it'll rain. Serbian uses the bare verb in the third person plural for this, with no pronoun at all: кажу да ће падати киша. Adding они there would point at some particular people.
Key Takeaways
- они for men and mixed groups, оне for women, она for neuter plurals and for деца - A group of one man and nine women is они - The pronoun is usually dropped; the verb ending carries they: кажу, раде, дошли су - Declension, the same for all genders: они / оне / она, њих, њима, њих, њима, њима - Short forms: их (accusative and genitive), им (dative); after a preposition, always the full form: с њима, код њих, без њих - The possessive is њихов, њихова, њихово, but свој when the possessor is the subject - They say in the general sense is the bare verb: кажу да …
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24.1a Они they-MASC су are овде here 24.1b Oni (O-nee) they-MASC su (soo) are ovde (OV-de) here
24.2a Оне they-FEM су are сестре sisters 24.2b One (O-ne) they-FEM su (soo) are sestre (SES-tre) sisters
24.3a Она they-NEUT су are још still мала small-NEUT.PL 24.3b Ona (O-na) they-NEUT su (soo) are još (yosh) still mala (MA-la) small-NEUT.PL
24.4a Видим I-see их them-ACC 24.4b Vidim (VEE-deem) I-see ih (eeh) them-ACC
24.5a Дај give-IMP им them-DAT воде water-GEN 24.5b Daj (dai) give-IMP im (eem) them-DAT vode (VO-de) water-GEN
24.6a Не not познајем I-know их them-ACC али but познајем I-know њихову their-ACC.FEM мајку mother-ACC 24.6b Ne (neh) not poznajem (POZ-na-yem) I-know ih (eeh) them-ACC ali (A-lee) but poznajem (POZ-na-yem) I-know njihovu (NYEE-ho-voo) their-ACC.FEM majku (MY-koo) mother-ACC
24.7a Кажу they-say да that ће will сутра tomorrow бити be-INF хладно cold-NEUT 24.7b Kažu (KA-zhoo) they-say da (dah) that će (cheh) will sutra (SOO-tra) tomorrow biti (BEE-tee) be-INF hladno (HLAD-no) cold-NEUT
24.8a Без without њих them-GEN не not можемо we-can да to почнемо we-begin 24.8b Bez (bez) without njih (nyeeh) them-GEN ne (neh) not možemo (MO-zhe-mo) we-can da (dah) to počnemo (POCH-ne-mo) we-begin
24.9a Синоћ last-night сам I-am вечерао dined-MASC код at њих them-GEN 24.9b Sinoć (SEE-noch) last-night sam (sahm) I-am večerao (ve-CHE-ra-o) dined-MASC kod (kod) at njih (nyeeh) them-GEN
24.10a Марко Marko и and Ана Ana Они they-MASC су are отишли left-MASC.PL рано early 24.10b Marko (MAR-ko) Marko i (ee) and Ana (A-na) Ana Oni (O-nee) they-MASC su (soo) are otišli (O-teesh-lee) left-MASC.PL rano (RA-no) early
24.11a Питао asked-MASC сам I-am их them-ACC где where живе they-live али but ми me-DAT нису they-are-not рекли told-MASC.PL 24.11b Pitao (PEE-ta-o) asked-MASC sam (sahm) I-am ih (eeh) them-ACC gde (gdeh) where žive (ZHEE-ve) they-live ali (A-lee) but mi (mee) me-DAT nisu (NEE-soo) they-are-not rekli (REK-lee) told-MASC.PL
24.12a Оне they-FEM су are биле been-FEM.PL на at мору sea-LOC а and ми we смо are радили worked-MASC.PL 24.12b One (O-ne) they-FEM su (soo) are bile (BEE-le) been-FEM.PL na (nah) at moru (MO-roo) sea-LOC a (ah) and mi (mee) we smo (smo) are radili (RA-dee-lee) worked-MASC.PL
24.13a Њима them-DAT је is лако easy-NEUT јер because они they-MASC имају they-have кола car 24.13b Njima (NYEE-ma) them-DAT je (yeh) is lako (LA-ko) easy-NEUT jer (yer) because oni (O-nee) they-MASC imaju (EE-ma-yoo) they-have kola (KO-la) car
24.14a Нека let причају they-talk шта what хоће they-want 24.14b Neka (NE-ka) let pričaju (PREE-cha-yoo) they-talk šta (shtah) what hoće (HO-che) they-want
24.15a Сви all-MASC.PL су are они they-MASC исти same-MASC.PL само only што that неки some-MASC.PL то that боље better крију they-hide 24.15b Svi (svee) all-MASC.PL su (soo) are oni (O-nee) they-MASC isti (EES-tee) same-MASC.PL samo (SA-mo) only što (shtoh) that neki (NE-kee) some-MASC.PL to (toh) that bolje (BO-lye) better kriju (KREE-yoo) they-hide
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24.1 Они су овде. "They're here."
24.2 Оне су сестре. "They're sisters."
24.3 Она су још мала. "They're still small." (of children)
24.4 Видим их. "I can see them."
24.5 Дај им воде. "Give them some water."
24.6 Не познајем их, али познајем њихову мајку. "I don't know them, but I know their mother."
24.7 Кажу да ће сутра бити хладно. "They say it'll be cold tomorrow."
24.8 Без њих не можемо да почнемо. "We can't start without them."
24.9 Синоћ сам вечерао код њих. "I had dinner at their place last night."
24.10 Марко и Ана? Они су отишли рано. "Marko and Ana? They left early."
24.11 Питао сам их где живе, али ми нису рекли. "I asked them where they live, but they didn't tell me."
24.12 Оне су биле на мору, а ми смо радили. "They were at the seaside, while we were working."
24.13 Њима је лако, јер они имају кола. "It's easy for them, because they have a car."
24.14 Нека причају шта хоће. "Let them say what they like."
24.15 Сви су они исти, само што неки то боље крију. "They're all the same; it's just that some hide it better."
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24.1 Они су овде.
24.2 Оне су сестре.
24.3 Она су још мала.
24.4 Видим их.
24.5 Дај им воде.
24.6 Не познајем их, али познајем њихову мајку.
24.7 Кажу да ће сутра бити хладно.
24.8 Без њих не можемо да почнемо.
24.9 Синоћ сам вечерао код њих.
24.10 Марко и Ана? Они су отишли рано.
24.11 Питао сам их где живе, али ми нису рекли.
24.12 Оне су биле на мору, а ми смо радили.
24.13 Њима је лако, јер они имају кола.
24.14 Нека причају шта хоће.
24.15 Сви су они исти, само што неки то боље крију.
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These are the rules for они, оне and она.
1. Three nominatives. The plural pronoun shows gender in the nominative, as the singular does (он, она, оно):
masculine: они — Они су овде. feminine: оне — Оне су сестре. neuter: она — Она су још мала.
A group of men and women together is always они, however few the men: Марко и Ана? Они су отишли. Only a group made up entirely of women is оне. The neuter она has the same spelling as она, she. The verb tells them apart: она је is she is; она су is they are.
2. Деца takes она. Деца (children) is a collective noun that behaves as a neuter plural. It takes a plural verb, a neuter plural participle and the pronoun она: Деца су дошла. Она су још мала. The same goes for other neuter plurals: села (villages), кола (a car, plural in form).
3. The pronoun is usually absent. The third person plural ending says they in every tense:
present: кажу, раде, читају, иду, могу, хоће perfect: дошли су, биле су, рекли су future: рећи ће, доћи ће, радиће conditional: рекли би
Они appears when the subject is contrasted (ми радимо, а они се одмарају), stressed (они имају кола, 24.13), or stands without a verb (Ко? Они.). As with ми (Lesson 21), a learner who puts они in every sentence sounds as if every sentence were an accusation.
4. Participle agreement. In the perfect, the participle shows the gender of the group:
masculine or mixed: они су били, дошли, рекли feminine: оне су биле, дошле, рекле neuter: она су била, дошла, рекла
So били су and биле су both mean they were, and only the ending tells you who was there.
5. Declension. Outside the nominative there is one set of forms for all three genders:
nominative: они / оне / она genitive: њих (clitic их) dative: њима (clitic им) accusative: њих (clitic их) locative: њима instrumental: њима
Genitive and accusative are alike, and so are dative, locative and instrumental. This is the same pattern as ми (нас, нама) in Lesson 21.
6. Clitic or full form. The short forms их and им are unstressed and stand in second position: видим их, дај им воде, питао сам их. The full forms њих and њима are used after prepositions (без њих, код њих, с њима, о њима, за њих), at the head of a clause (Њима је лако, 24.13), and for contrast (Не видим њих, видим вас.). A clitic never follows a preposition: say с њима, never *с им.
7. Их and им. The two clitics differ by one letter, and both are very common. Их is them as the direct object: видим их, познајем их. Им is to them, for them: дај им, рекао сам им, треба им помоћ. Verbs that take the dative of the person (рећи, дати, помоћи, веровати) take им.
8. Њихов and свој. The possessive their is њихов, њихова, њихово, declining like an adjective: њихова мајка, њихову мајку (24.6), њихови родитељи. When the possessor is the subject of the same clause, Serbian uses свој instead, as with он in Lesson 16:
Они воле своју децу. — They love their (own) children. Они воле њихову децу. — They love their (the other people's) children.
The reflexive себе works the same way: позвали су нас код себе, they invited us to their place, not код њих, which would mean somebody else's place.
9. The general they. English they say, they've closed the road, they don't make them like that any more refer to nobody in particular. Serbian uses the third person plural verb with no pronoun: кажу да ће бити хладно, затворили су пут. If you add они, it means particular people: они кажу is those people say. Прича се да … (it is said that …) does the same job with a reflexive.
10. Нека with the plural. Нека with the present tense makes a third person command or wish: нека причају (let them talk), нека дођу (let them come). The pronoun is not needed.
11. Сви они. All of them is сви они (or све оне, сва она). Clitics come between them when the phrase opens the clause: Сви су они исти (24.15). Compare сви in the Section F citation, where it stands without the pronoun.
12. English singular they. English uses they for one person whose sex is not known or not stated: someone left their umbrella. Serbian has no equivalent. It chooses он or она, or uses the masculine as the general form (неко је оставио свој кишобран), or rephrases with ко: ко год је то урадио, whoever did it.
Common Mistakes
Using они for a group of women: *Ана и Мила? Они су отишли. Say Оне су отишле.
Using оне for a mixed group: one man in the group makes it они.
Putting они before every verb. Say кажу да ће падати киша, not они кажу, unless particular people are meant.
Mixing up их and им: *дај их воде. Say дај им воде; видим их.
A clitic after a preposition: без их, с им. Say без њих, с њима.
Њихов for the subject's own: *они воле њихову децу, meaning their own. Say своју децу.
Using оне for children: *деца су дошла, оне …. Деца takes она.
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Кажу — they say — is one of the most useful words in Serbian conversation. It passes on news, gossip and folk wisdom without anyone answering for them: кажу да ће поскупети струја, кажу да је он отишао у Немачку. Nobody asks who they are. The reflexive прича се (it is being said) does the same work, with a little more suspicion attached.
Нека причају (24.14) — let them talk — is the standard reply to gossip. It is said with a shrug, and it means I don't care what people say. Serbian, like English, is full of turns of phrase about what people will say. The question шта ће рећи свет?, what will people say?, is often heard from parents.
Сви су они исти (24.15) — they're all the same — is the classic complaint about politicians. Said with the right intonation, a bare они can mean whoever is in charge, as English they can.
Код њих is the mirror of код нас (Lesson 21): at their place, in their country, with them. Код њих је другачије (it's different where they are) is how a comparison with abroad is usually framed.
The poem in Section F belongs to the memory of Kragujevac. On 21 October 1941, German occupation forces in Kragujevac shot thousands of civilians in reprisal, among them pupils and teachers of the town's grammar school. Every year on that day a commemoration called Велики школски час (The Great School Lesson) is held in the memorial park at Шумарице, before the monument to the executed pupils and teachers, and Крвава бајка is the poem through which Serbian schoolchildren come to know it.
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The second stanza of Крвава бајка ("A Bloody Fairy Tale"), by Десанка Максимовић (Desanka Maksimović, 1898–1993). The poem was written in response to the massacre at Kragujevac in October 1941 (Section E), and is one of the best-known poems in Serbian. The stanza is about a whole company of schoolboys, and it is built entirely on they: yet the word они never appears. The plural is carried by the auxiliary су, by the participles, by сви (all), and by the dative clitic им.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Исте same-GEN су are године year-GEN F.1b Iste (EES-te) same-GEN su (soo) are godine (GO-dee-ne) year-GEN
F.2a сви all-MASC.PL били been-MASC.PL рођени born-MASC.PL F.2b svi (svee) all-MASC.PL bili (BEE-lee) been-MASC.PL rođeni (RO-je-nee) born-MASC.PL
F.3a исто alike су are им them-DAT текли flowed-MASC.PL школски school-MASC.PL дани days F.3b isto (EES-to) alike su (soo) are im (eem) them-DAT tekli (TEK-lee) flowed-MASC.PL školski (SHKOL-skee) school-MASC.PL dani (DA-nee) days
F.4a на to исте same-ACC.PL свечаности celebrations-ACC.PL F.4b na (nah) to iste (EES-te) same-ACC.PL svečanosti (SVE-cha-nos-tee) celebrations-ACC.PL
F.5a заједно together су are вођени led-MASC.PL F.5b zajedno (ZA-yed-no) together su (soo) are vođeni (VO-je-nee) led-MASC.PL
F.6a од against истих same-GEN.PL болести illnesses-GEN.PL сви all-MASC.PL пелцовани vaccinated-MASC.PL F.6b od (od) against istih (EES-teeh) same-GEN.PL bolesti (BO-les-tee) illnesses-GEN.PL svi (svee) all-MASC.PL pelcovani (PEL-tso-va-nee) vaccinated-MASC.PL
F.7a и and сви all-MASC.PL умрли died-MASC.PL у on истом same-LOC дану day-LOC F.7b i (ee) and svi (svee) all-MASC.PL umrli (OOM-r-lee) died-MASC.PL u (oo) on istom (EES-tom) same-LOC danu (DA-noo) day-LOC
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Исте су године сви били рођени, исто су им текли школски дани, на исте свечаности заједно су вођени, од истих болести сви пелцовани, и сви умрли у истом дану.
"In the same year they had all been born, their school days ran alike, to the same celebrations they were taken together, against the same illnesses all inoculated, and all of them died on the same day."
F-C: Original Only
Исте су године сви били рођени, исто су им текли школски дани, на исте свечаности заједно су вођени, од истих болести сви пелцовани, и сви умрли у истом дану.
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
Where is они? — Nowhere, and it is not missed. The English translation needs they three times; the Serbian has it in су (F.1, F.3, F.5), in the masculine plural endings -и of every participle, and in сви. This is Section D §3 at its strictest. Adding они would break the rhythm and add nothing. The masculine plural is used because the subject is чета ђака, a company of schoolboys, named in the first stanza.
Исте су године … рођени (F.1–F.2) — исте године is a genitive of time, in the same year, as in прошле године (Lesson 21). Су … били рођени is a passive in the perfect: бити рођен, to be born. The clitic су takes second position after the first word, Исте, and so splits the phrase исте године. This is normal in Serbian, and in verse it is frequent.
Исто су им текли школски дани (F.3) — им is the dative clitic of Section D §6, here a dative of interest: their school days ran alike for them. English says their; Serbian prefers the dative clitic, as in отац му је био ковач (Lesson 16). It stands in the cluster су им, auxiliary before dative, as the clitic order requires (Lesson 21 §4).
Заједно су вођени (F.5) — вођени is the passive participle of водити, to lead, to take: they were taken together. Children are taken to celebrations; the passive keeps them as the subject of every line.
Сви пелцовани … сви умрли (F.6–F.7) — the auxiliary су is left out, as verse allows, and сви stands in its place at the head of each line. The last line changes the pattern of the stanza: every line before it describes the ordinary life of a schoolboy, and the last one describes their death in the same words. Пелцовати (to vaccinate) is a colloquial word borrowed from German.
У истом дану — on the same day, locative after у. The usual prose form is истог дана (genitive of time, like исте године above); the poem uses у + locative, which is also correct and which repeats the refrain of the poem, у једном дану.
The text is given as printed in modern editions. Printed versions differ in small details: some print исти су им текли школски дани, and some leave out the comma after пелцовани. The poem is quoted here, one stanza only, for teaching purposes.
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Part A — Intralinear Construed Text
24.16a Јеси are-you ли Q упознала met-FEM нове new-ACC.PL комшије neighbours-ACC Уселили moved-in-MASC.PL су are се REFL јуче yesterday 24.16b Jesi (YE-see) are-you li (lee) Q upoznala (oo-POZ-na-la) met-FEM nove (NO-ve) new-ACC.PL komšije (KOM-shee-ye) neighbours-ACC Uselili (OO-se-lee-lee) moved-in-MASC.PL su (soo) are se (seh) REFL juče (YOO-che) yesterday
24.17a Нисам I-am-not још yet али but сам I-am их them-ACC видела seen-FEM на on степеницама stairs-LOC 24.17b Nisam (NEE-sahm) I-am-not još (yosh) yet ali (A-lee) but sam (sahm) I-am ih (eeh) them-ACC videla (VEE-de-la) seen-FEM na (nah) on stepenicama (STE-pe-nee-tsa-ma) stairs-LOC
24.18a Какви what-kind-MASC.PL су are Јесу are ли Q млади young-MASC.PL 24.18b Kakvi (KAK-vee) what-kind-MASC.PL su (soo) are Jesu (YE-soo) are li (lee) Q mladi (MLA-dee) young-MASC.PL
24.19a Млади young-MASC.PL су are и and имају they-have двоје two деце children-GEN Она they-NEUT су are још still мала small-NEUT.PL 24.19b Mladi (MLA-dee) young-MASC.PL su (soo) are i (ee) and imaju (EE-ma-yoo) they-have dvoje (DVO-ye) two dece (DE-tse) children-GEN Ona (O-na) they-NEUT su (soo) are još (yosh) still mala (MA-la) small-NEUT.PL
24.20a Чула heard-FEM сам I-am да that су they-are из from Ниша Niš-GEN 24.20b Čula (CHOO-la) heard-FEM sam (sahm) I-am da (dah) that su (soo) they-are iz (eez) from Niša (NEE-sha) Niš-GEN
24.21a Не no из from Крагујевца Kragujevac-GEN су they-are Њихови their-MASC.PL родитељи parents и and даље further живе live тамо there 24.21b Ne (neh) no iz (eez) from Kragujevca (KRA-goo-yev-tsa) Kragujevac-GEN su (soo) they-are Njihovi (NYEE-ho-vee) their-MASC.PL roditelji (RO-dee-te-lyee) parents i (ee) and dalje (DA-lye) further žive (ZHEE-ve) live tamo (TA-mo) there
24.22a Треба it-is-needed да that их them-ACC позовемо we-invite на for кафу coffee-ACC 24.22b Treba (TRE-ba) it-is-needed da (dah) that ih (eeh) them-ACC pozovemo (po-ZO-ve-mo) we-invite na (nah) for kafu (KA-foo) coffee-ACC
24.23a Ја I сам am им them-DAT већ already однела taken-FEM колач cake-ACC 24.23b Ja (yah) I sam (sahm) am im (eem) them-DAT već (vech) already odnela (OD-ne-la) taken-FEM kolač (KO-lach) cake-ACC
24.24a Ти you увек always све everything стигнеш you-manage Шта what су are рекли said-MASC.PL 24.24b Ti (tee) you uvek (OO-vek) always sve (sveh) everything stigneš (STEEG-nesh) you-manage Šta (shtah) what su (soo) are rekli (REK-lee) said-MASC.PL
24.25a Захвалили thanked-MASC.PL су are ми me-DAT и and позвали invited-MASC.PL нас us-ACC код at себе themselves-GEN у on суботу Saturday-ACC 24.25b Zahvalili (zah-VA-lee-lee) thanked-MASC.PL su (soo) are mi (mee) me-DAT i (ee) and pozvali (POZ-va-lee) invited-MASC.PL nas (nahs) us-ACC kod (kod) at sebe (SE-be) themselves-GEN u (oo) on subotu (SOO-bo-too) Saturday-ACC
24.26a Код at њих them-GEN А and шта what да that им them-DAT однесемо we-take 24.26b Kod (kod) at njih (nyeeh) them-GEN A (ah) and šta (shtah) what da (dah) that im (eem) them-DAT odnesemo (od-NE-se-mo) we-take
24.27a Нешто something за for децу children-ACC Имају they-have две two-FEM девојчице little-girls и and обе both-FEM воле love да to цртају they-draw 24.27b Nešto (NESH-to) something za (zah) for decu (DE-tsoo) children-ACC Imaju (EE-ma-yoo) they-have dve (dveh) two-FEM devojčice (DE-voy-chee-tse) little-girls i (ee) and obe (O-be) both-FEM vole (VO-le) love da (dah) to crtaju (TSR-ta-yoo) they-draw
24.28a Онда then ћемо we-will им them-DAT купити buy-INF бојице crayons-ACC А and шта what ћемо we-will однети take-INF њима them-DAT родитељима parents-DAT 24.28b Onda (ON-da) then ćemo (CHE-mo) we-will im (eem) them-DAT kupiti (KOO-pee-tee) buy-INF bojice (BO-yee-tse) crayons-ACC A (ah) and šta (shtah) what ćemo (CHE-mo) we-will odneti (OD-ne-tee) take-INF njima (NYEE-ma) them-DAT roditeljima (ro-dee-TE-lyee-ma) parents-DAT
24.29a Њима them-DAT ћемо we-will однети take-INF вино wine-ACC Он he воли likes црно red-NEUT а and она she бело white-NEUT 24.29b Njima (NYEE-ma) them-DAT ćemo (CHE-mo) we-will odneti (OD-ne-tee) take-INF vino (VEE-no) wine-ACC On (on) he voli (VO-lee) likes crno (TSR-no) red-NEUT a (ah) and ona (O-na) she belo (BE-lo) white-NEUT
24.30a Видиш you-see да that их them-ACC већ already добро well познајеш you-know 24.30b Vidiš (VEE-deesh) you-see da (dah) that ih (eeh) them-ACC već (vech) already dobro (DO-bro) well poznaješ (POZ-na-yesh) you-know
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Part B — Natural Sentences
24.16 — Јеси ли упознала нове комшије? Уселили су се јуче. "Have you met the new neighbours? They moved in yesterday."
24.17 — Нисам још, али сам их видела на степеницама. "Not yet, but I saw them on the stairs."
24.18 — Какви су? Јесу ли млади? "What are they like? Are they young?"
24.19 — Млади су и имају двоје деце. Она су још мала. "They're young, and they have two children. They're still small."
24.20 — Чула сам да су из Ниша. "I heard they're from Niš."
24.21 — Не, из Крагујевца су. Њихови родитељи и даље живе тамо. "No, they're from Kragujevac. Their parents still live there."
24.22 — Треба да их позовемо на кафу. "We ought to invite them round for coffee."
24.23 — Ја сам им већ однела колач. "I've already taken them a cake."
24.24 — Ти увек све стигнеш. Шта су рекли? "You always get round to everything. What did they say?"
24.25 — Захвалили су ми и позвали нас код себе у суботу. "They thanked me and invited us to their place on Saturday."
24.26 — Код њих? А шта да им однесемо? "To their place? And what shall we take them?"
24.27 — Нешто за децу. Имају две девојчице, и обе воле да цртају. "Something for the children. They have two little girls, and they both love drawing."
24.28 — Онда ћемо им купити бојице. А шта ћемо однети њима, родитељима? "Then we'll buy them crayons. And what shall we take the parents?"
24.29 — Њима ћемо однети вино. Он воли црно, а она бело. "We'll take them wine. He likes red, and she likes white."
24.30 — Видиш да их већ добро познајеш! "You see, you already know them well!"
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Part C — Target Language Only
24.16 — Јеси ли упознала нове комшије? Уселили су се јуче.
24.17 — Нисам још, али сам их видела на степеницама.
24.18 — Какви су? Јесу ли млади?
24.19 — Млади су и имају двоје деце. Она су још мала.
24.20 — Чула сам да су из Ниша.
24.21 — Не, из Крагујевца су. Њихови родитељи и даље живе тамо.
24.22 — Треба да их позовемо на кафу.
24.23 — Ја сам им већ однела колач.
24.24 — Ти увек све стигнеш. Шта су рекли?
24.25 — Захвалили су ми и позвали нас код себе у суботу.
24.26 — Код њих? А шта да им однесемо?
24.27 — Нешто за децу. Имају две девојчице, и обе воле да цртају.
24.28 — Онда ћемо им купити бојице. А шта ћемо однети њима, родитељима?
24.29 — Њима ћемо однети вино. Он воли црно, а она бело.
24.30 — Видиш да их већ добро познајеш!
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Part D — Grammar Notes for the Dialogue
Two neighbours in a Belgrade block of flats talk about the family who have just moved in on the floor above. Neither of them uses они once: the whole conversation is about them, and they is carried by verb endings, by их and им, and by the full forms њих and њима.
Уселили су се (24.16) — they moved in. The masculine plural participle covers the whole family, husband, wife and children (Section D §4). Комшије is the plural of комшија, a Turkish loan and the everyday word for neighbour. It is masculine in meaning but declines like a feminine noun, hence нове комшије.
Али сам их видела (24.17) — the clitic cluster сам их comes straight after али, auxiliary before accusative.
Какви су? Јесу ли млади? (24.18) — two questions with no pronoun in either. Јесу is the stressed form of су, used to open a yes/no question with ли, as јеси ли in 24.16.
Имају двоје деце. Она су још мала. (24.19) — двоје is the collective numeral for a mixed or unknown pair (Lesson 21 §8), and it takes the genitive деце. The children are then referred to as она, neuter plural (Section D §2). This is the only place in the dialogue where the nominative pronoun appears, because the subject changes from the parents to the children and needs naming.
Из Крагујевца су (24.21) — the place goes first for contrast with из Ниша, and the clitic су follows it. И даље — still, as before.
Треба да их позовемо (24.22) — the impersonal треба (it is needed) with a да clause: we ought to. The clitic их goes straight after да.
Ја сам им већ однела колач (24.23) — ја is stressed for contrast: you're talking of inviting them, but I've already been. Им is the dative clitic: the cake was taken to them.
Позвали нас код себе (24.25) — код себе, not код њих: the place belongs to the subject of the clause, so the reflexive is used (Section D §8). The reply Код њих? (24.26) is said from the speaker's point of view, and so uses њих: the full form, because it follows a preposition.
Шта да им однесемо? (24.26) — a да clause standing alone as a question of what to do: what are we to take them?
Им … њима, родитељима (24.28) — the dative clitic им refers to the girls, and the full њима marks the change to the parents. This is the contrastive use of the long form (Section D §6). The clitic is the same for girls and parents, and for any gender.
Њима ћемо однети вино (24.29) — the full form fronted at the head of the clause, where a clitic cannot stand. Then the couple is split into он and она for the last contrast: once the two are distinguished, the singular pronouns come back.
Видиш да их већ добро познајеш (24.30) — познавати is to know (a person), and знати is to know (a fact): познајем их, but знам да су из Крагујевца.
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они (oni): O-nee. Stress on the first syllable, a short pure o as in pot said with rounded lips. Not OH-nee with the English diphthong.
оне / она (one / ona): O-ne, O-na. Stress on the first syllable, like они. Она they and она she sound the same.
њих (njih): nyeeh. Њ is a single sound, the ny of canyon, not n followed by y. The final х is a light friction at the back of the mouth, as in Scottish loch said softly; it must be heard, or њих becomes њи.
их / им (ih / im): eeh, eem. One vowel and one consonant each, and the consonant does all the work. Practise the pair: видим их (VEE-deem-eeh), дај им (DAI-eem). Both are clitics and lean on the word before them.
њима (njima): NYEE-ma. Stress on the first syllable.
њихов (njihov): NYEE-hov. Stress on the first syllable; the х in the middle is light but present.
кажу (kažu): KA-zhoo. Ж as the s in measure.
пелцовани (pelcovani): PEL-tso-va-nee. Ц is always ts, as in cats.
умрли (umrli): OOM-r-lee. The р between consonants is a vowel in its own right and forms a syllable, as in црно (TSR-no) and цртају (TSR-ta-yoo). Roll it lightly; do not add a vowel before it.
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)