Asking "what are you doing?" - a small question that opens a big door
The question Šta radiš? - "What are you doing?" - is one of the first things a Serbian speaker will ask you in a casual conversation. It follows the most common verb conjugation pattern in the language, and once you have it, a whole family of everyday verbs opens up to you. Even better, the answers to Šta...? questions give you your first taste of the accusative case, which turns out to be gentler than it sounds.
The -am endings (first conjugation group)
Many of the most useful Serbian verbs - pevati (to sing), vezati (to tie/embroider), čitati (to read), gledati (to watch), igrati (to play), imati (to have), čekati (to wait) - belong to the first conjugation group. In the present tense their endings follow a clean, memorable pattern:
| Person | Ending | Example (pevati) |
|---|---|---|
| Ja (I) | -am | Ja pevam |
| Ti (you, singular) | -as | Ti vezas |
| On/Ona/Ono (he/she/it) | -a | On/Ona cita |
| Mi (we) | -amo | Mi glедamo |
| Vi (you, plural/formal) | -ate | Vi igrate |
| Oni/One/Ona (they) | -aju | Oni imaju |
The pattern is beautifully consistent. Once you have pevam, pevas, peva, pevamo, pevate, pevaju in your head, you can conjugate hundreds of verbs.
The questions and answers
Here are five natural question-and-answer pairs. Say them aloud - the rhythm helps fix them in memory.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Šta čekaš? | Čekam tvoj odgovor. |
| Šta čitaš? | Čitam knjigu. |
| Šta gledas? | Gledam priredbu. |
| Šta igras? | Igram odbojku. |
| Šta imaš? | Imam svesku. |
Did you notice the bolded -u endings? That is the accusative case making its first appearance - and it is friendlier than you might expect.
The simple rule for feminine nouns in the accusative
Feminine nouns in Serbian (nouns that end in -a in the nominative) take an -u ending in the accusative singular. The stem stays the same; you simply swap the final -a for -u:
- knjiga (a book) → Čitam knjigu
- sveska (a notebook) → Imam svesku
- priredba (a show/event) → Gledam priredbu
- odbojka (volleyball) → Igram odbojku
Masculine nouns for inanimate things (like odgovor, answer) and neuter nouns keep the same form in the accusative as in the nominative - no change needed. Animate masculine nouns (people, animals) follow a different rule you will meet a little later.
Now the plural
When you move to the plural, the accusative endings shift slightly:
- Feminine plural accusative: -e - knjige, pesme, price, haljine, pecurke
- Masculine plural accusative: -e (inanimate) - odgovore (from odgovori in nominative plural)
- Neuter plural accusative: -a - odela (both nominative and accusative plural)
The key insight is that for feminine nouns the plural accusative ends in -e, which is the same as the nominative plural. Once you get comfortable hearing the difference in context, it feels very natural.
A note on the audio practice
The original version of this post included audio exercises hosted on Audioboo. Unfortunately that service no longer operates and those recordings are no longer available to play. As a substitute, try recording yourself saying each question-and-answer pair aloud and playing it back - even a phone recording will help your ear. If you have a practice partner, take turns asking Šta...? questions and giving accusative answers. Leave a comment below if you would like me to add new audio for these exercises - your requests are what guide this blog.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to say "ja" before the verb in Serbian?
No - the ending itself tells the listener who is speaking, so the pronoun is optional. In everyday speech, Čitam knjigu is perfectly natural. You add ja for emphasis: Ja čitam knjigu (I am the one reading the book).
Is "Šta radiš?" rude or casual?
It is casual and friendly - exactly right between people who know each other. In a formal setting you would say Šta radite? using the plural/formal form, just as in French or German.
What about the verb "raditi" (to work/do) itself?
It follows the same pattern: radim, radiš, radi, radimo, radite, rade. Notice rade rather than radaju - raditi belongs to a slightly different sub-group. This is covered in a dedicated conjugation post.
How do I know if a noun is feminine in Serbian?
Most nouns ending in -a are feminine. Most nouns ending in a consonant are masculine. Most nouns ending in -o or -e are neuter. There are exceptions, but this rule covers the vast majority of words you will meet early on.
What is "priredba" exactly?
A priredba is a school performance or public event - a recital, a concert, a theatrical presentation. It is a very common word in the context of school life and children's activities.
You have just put together a verb paradigm AND your first accusative ending in a single lesson - that is genuinely impressive for one sitting. Write out the five question-and-answer pairs by hand once, say them aloud, and they will stay with you. Come back and tell me which one felt most natural to say!
Sreća u ucenju! - Marina Petrovic
More verb practice: browse the Serbian Conjugations category.