Serbian grammar guide
Serbian Cases (Padeži), Explained Simply
Serbian has 7 cases. A case is simply the form a word takes depending on its job in the sentence. Once you see the pattern, sentences that looked random start making sense.
1. Nominative (Nominativ)
The nominative is the dictionary form of a word and the subject of the sentence. It answers ko? (who?) and šta? (what?). Every noun you learn, you learn in the nominative first.
Marko čita knjigu.
Marko reads a book.
Marko is the subject, so it stays in the nominative.
Ovo je veliki grad.
This is a big city.
Typical nominative endings
| Example word | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example | grad (city) | žena (woman) | selo (village) |
| Ending | consonant, -o, -e | -a | -o, -e |
Quick check 1
___ čita knjigu. (___ reads a book.) Which case is the missing word?
The missing word is the subject of the sentence.
2. Genitive (Genitiv)
The genitive is the busiest case in Serbian. It shows possession (of whom, of what), follows negations, quantities and many common prepositions like od (from), iz (out of), do (until) and kod (at someone's place). It answers koga? and čega?
Ovo je knjiga moje sestre.
This is my sister's book.
Possession: the book OF my sister.
Nemam vremena.
I have no time.
Negation of imati takes the genitive.
Idem kod doktora.
I am going to the doctor's.
Typical genitive endings
| Example word | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| grad → | grada | žena → žene | selo → sela |
Quick check 1
Ovo je kuća moje ___ . (This is my ___ house.) Which case fills the blank for possession?
Think: the house OF my sister.
Quick check 2
Nemam ___ . (I have no time.) Which case follows negation?
Nemam is the negative form of imam (I have).
3. Dative (Dativ)
The dative marks the indirect object: the person or thing something is given to, said to or done for. It answers kome? (to whom?) and čemu? (to what?). Think of it as the "to/for" case.
Dajem poklon bratu.
I give a gift to my brother.
Reci mi istinu.
Tell me the truth.
Mi (to me) is the dative of ja.
Typical dative endings
| Example word | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| grad → | gradu | žena → ženi | selo → selu |
Quick check 1
Dajem poklon ___ . (I give a gift to my brother.) Which case is it?
The gift goes TO someone.
4. Accusative (Akuzativ)
The accusative marks the direct object: the thing the action happens to. It answers koga? and šta? There is one famous rule to memorize: masculine nouns naming living beings take the genitive ending here (vidim Marka), while masculine nouns naming things stay like the nominative (vidim grad).
Vidim Marka.
I see Marko.
Animate masculine: accusative looks like the genitive.
Vidim grad.
I see the city.
Inanimate masculine: accusative looks like the nominative.
Volim kafu.
I like coffee.
Feminine: accusative ends in -u.
Typical accusative endings
| Example word | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| grada (animate) / grad (thing) | ženu | selo |
Quick check 1
Vidim ___ . (I see Marko.) Which case is Marko in?
Marko is a person receiving the action directly.
Quick check 2
Volim ___ . (I like coffee.) Which case is kafa in here?
Kafa (coffee) is feminine.
5. Vocative (Vokativ)
The vocative is for calling out to someone or addressing them directly. English does not have it, which is why it feels new, but you use it every time you say someone's name to get their attention.
Druže, dođi ovamo!
Friend, come here!
Zdravo, ženo!
Hello, ma'am!
Žena becomes ženo in the vocative.
Typical vocative endings
| Example word | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| drug → | druže | žena → ženo | dete → dete |
Quick check 1
___ , dođi ovamo! (Friend, come here!) Which case calls out to someone?
You are addressing the person directly.
6. Instrumental (Instrumental)
The instrumental covers company and means: who you are with and what you do something with. It answers s kim? (with whom?) and s čim? (with what?). Look for the preposition s / sa (with), or no preposition at all when it means "by means of".
Putujem vozom.
I travel by train.
No preposition needed for means of transport.
Idem sa drugaricom.
I am going with a friend.
Pišem olovkom.
I write with a pencil.
Typical instrumental endings
| Example word | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| grad → | gradom | žena → ženom | selo → selom |
Quick check 1
Putujem ___ . (I travel by train.) Which case means by means of?
Voz means train.
Quick check 2
Pišem ___ . (I write with a pencil.) Which case is olovka in?
Olovka means pencil, feminine noun.
7. Locative (Lokativ)
The locative is the location case. It never appears alone: it always follows a preposition, most often u (in), na (on) or o (about). It answers gde? (where?) and o kome / o čemu? (about whom / about what?).
Živim u Beogradu.
I live in Belgrade.
Knjiga je na stolu.
The book is on the table.
Pričamo o filmu.
We are talking about the movie.
Typical locative endings
| Example word | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| grad → | gradu | škola → školi | selo → selu |
Quick check 1
Živim u ___ . (I live in Belgrade.) Which case follows u for location?
Beograd is masculine.
All 7 cases at a glance
One paradigm to rule them all. Masculine grad, feminine žena, neuter selo.
| Case | Answers | Masc. | Fem. | Neut. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ko? šta? | grad | žena | selo |
| Genitive | koga? čega? | grada | žene | sela |
| Dative | kome? čemu? | gradu | ženi | selu |
| Accusative | koga? šta? | grad(a) | ženu | selo |
| Vocative | direct address | grade | ženo | selo |
| Instrumental | s kim? s čim? | gradom | ženom | selom |
| Locative | gde? o kome? | gradu | ženi | selu |
Common questions
How many cases does Serbian have?
Serbian has 7 grammatical cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, vocative, instrumental and locative. Nouns, adjectives, pronouns and some numbers change their endings depending on the case.
What is the hardest Serbian case for learners?
Most learners struggle with the genitive, because it has the most uses: possession, negation, quantities and many prepositions. The instrumental and locative are easier, since they appear in predictable patterns with prepositions.
Do I need to learn all 7 cases to speak Serbian?
To understand everyday Serbian you will meet all 7 quickly, but you do not need to master them at once. Start with the nominative, accusative and locative, which cover most simple sentences, then add the genitive, dative, instrumental and vocative.
What is the difference between the genitive and the accusative?
The accusative marks the direct object of an action (Vidim Marka: I see Marko). The genitive shows possession or follows certain prepositions and negations (Knjiga Marka: Marko's book; Nemam vremena: I have no time).
Reading about cases is good. Using them is better.
Start Serbian turns grammar into short interactive lessons with smart repetition, so the cases stick without memorizing tables.
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