10+ Easy Serbian Verbs That Every Learner Should Know

If you’ve just started learning Serbian and are confused about where to begin, knowing basic Serbian verbs can provide you with a solid foundation. That’s because verbs are the central part of any sentence.

You’ll hear them everywhere, and once you start using them correctly, you’ll sound a lot more natural! With this in mind, we’ve listed some of the most common Serbian verbs that you can actually use in real life.

So let’s begin!

How Do Serbian Verbs Work?

Serbian verbs are used to describe actions, feelings, and events. For example, 

• They tell us about current actions, like “to read” – čitati or “to bake” – peći. 

• They help us express our feelings, such as “to love” – voleti and “to want” – želeti. 

• And we even sometimes use verbs to talk about natural events, like “to dawn” – svitati and “to blow” – svitati.
  
  

So, you’ll find verbs in almost every sentence as they add meaning to it.

Here’s an interesting fact: Serbian verbs are inflected, which means they change depending on the subject (I, you, he/she), tense (present, past, future), and gender (masculine, feminine). Thus, verbs must agree with the subject in both number and gender, especially when talking about past actions. 

There are also special verb forms in Serbian, such as participles and verbal adverbs, which help form different tenses and describe when or how an action happens.  

Everyday-Use Serbian Verbs

Below are some must-know Serbian verbs that can help you talk about what you or anyone else is doing, thinking, or feeling in real-time.

How Do Serbian Verbs Change?

Serbian verbs change depending on 7 main categories. This process is called conjugation (konjugacija), and it’s how verbs adapt to everything that’s going on in a Serbian sentence. 

For instance, imam means ‘I have’ and imaš means ‘you have’. You see, both these forms are derived from the same verb ‘to have’ – imati, but are used with different subjects. 

Now, let’s explore the 7 main categories based on which Serbian verbs change their base form: 

• Person – Who’s doing the action, such as I, you, he, she, they, etc.
  
  

• Gender – In the past tense, verbs change depending on whether the subject is masculine, feminine, or neuter.
  
  

• Number – Singular (one person) or plural (a whole group).
  
  

• Tense – Is it happening now, before, or will it happen later? (present, past, future).
  
  

• Mood – Are we stating a fact, giving a command, or just imagining? (real vs. hypothetical).
  
  

• Aspect – Is the action completed or still in progress?
  
  

• Voice – Who’s doing the action, and who’s receiving it? (active vs. passive).
  
  

What Are The Different Forms Of Serbian Verbs?

In Serbian, there are fourteen verb forms in total, and they’re grouped into two big categories: impersonal and personal.

1. Impersonal Serbian Verbs Express Action

Impersonal verb forms don’t change based on who’s doing the action. They have no determinate subject and are used to express actions more generally or in relation to other actions. These are further divided into 5 types:

• Infinitive: to speak – govoriti, to have – imati, to bake –peći
  
  

• Active verbal adjective: He ran fast – Trčao je brzo.
  
  

• Passive verbal adjective: The wall was painted yesterday – Zid je juče ofarban.
  
  

• Present verbal adverb: She was singing while cooking – Pevala je kuvajući.
  
  

• Past verbal adverb: Having finished the book, he went to bed – Završivši knjigu, otišao je na spavanje.

2. Personal Serbian Verbs Have Nine Forms

On the other hand, personal Serbian verbs have a clear ‘doer’ of the action and change according to the subject. These are of nine types:

• Present tense: He walks by the river. The Sava flows through Šabac – Ide pored reke. Sava teče kroz Šabac.
  
  

• Perfect tense: They talked – Pričali su.
  
  

• Imperfect: I was walking – Šetah.
  
  

• Pluperfect: He had been giving – Beše davao.
  
  

• Aorist: We made it – Napravismo; I understood – Razumeh.
  
  

• Future I: I will skip – Preskočiću; We will return – Vratićemo se.
  
  

• Future II: When I work – Budem radio.
  
  

• Imperative: Come! – Dođi; Buy– Kupite
  
  

• Potential: We would swim – Bismo plivali; We would have dinner – Bismo večerali.
  
  
  

Have you understood the difference between each of these types? It’s easier than you think!

4 Smart Tips For Learning Serbian Verbs Quickly

If you’ve just started learning Serbian verbs, keep the following tips in mind:

• Focus on patterns, not just lists. Instead of memorizing random verbs, group them by patterns, like verbs that end in -ati and in -eti. This will help you recognize and predict conjugations faster.
  
  

• Learn the most common Serbian verbs first. Prioritize verbs you’ll actually use, like to be – biti, to have – imati, to go – ići, to love – voleti, and to want – želeti. These show up constantly in real conversations.
  
  

• Listen and repeat in context. Watch Serbian TV shows, YouTube videos, or listen to music and podcasts. When you hear a verb, pause and repeat it out loud in a sentence. This will help you with both pronunciation and usage.
  
  

• Use a language-learning app for grammar practice, like the Ling app, which offers in-depth grammar explanations and cultural notes for several languages, including Serbian.

How Do You Say ‘Verb’ In Serbian?

In Serbian, we say ‘verb’ as glagol (глагол). 🔊 Play глагол

Frequently Asked Questions About Serbian Verbs

A Quick Recap Of Serbian Verbs

In this guide, we’ve learned the most common Serbian verbs, explored their different forms, and understood how they change in real conversations. We’ve also highlighted a few useful tips on how to make learning verbs a bit easier and to ensure you don’t forget any rules.

Now it’s all about staying consistent. Verbs like “to be” – biti and “to have” – imati are used often, so it’s important to keep practicing and using them daily. Here, practicing writing and speaking Serbian through levels can be quite helpful for making real progress!

Learn More About The Serbian Language With Ling!

Now that you know how Serbian verbs work in sentences, why not advance your language skills and start learning Serbian grammar in detail? It has plenty more to offer, such as nouns, adjectives, cases, etc.

And the best part? With the Ling app, you can start learning right away, as it offers comprehensive language lessons in 70+ languages. Its game-like practice exercises keep you engaged, and its grammar notes make sure you’re well-informed as you learn Serbian step by step.

Don’t delay; download the Ling app on your devices now and take the next step.