If you are going to learn one Serbian verb beyond biti, let it be voleti - to love, to like. It is useful from the very first conversation ("What do you like?"), it follows a clean and regular pattern, and frankly it is a pleasure to say.
The present-tense endings of voleti are among the most common in Serbian, which means mastering this one verb gives you a template for dozens of others. Let us take a look.
The present tense of VOLETI
The stem is vol-, and the endings attach cleanly. Here is the full present tense:
| Person | Serbian | English |
|---|---|---|
| ja | volim | I love / I like |
| ti | voliš | you love / you like |
| on / ona / ono | voli | he / she / it loves |
| mi | volimo | we love / we like |
| vi | volite | you love / you like (pl. or formal) |
| oni / one / ona | vole | they love / they like |
The endings -im, -is, -i, -imo, -ite, -e belong to the second conjugation class and you will meet them again and again across Serbian verbs - so this table is pulling double duty as a general pattern reference.
You usually drop the pronoun
In Serbian, the verb ending itself tells you who the subject is, so personal pronouns are optional - and native speakers usually leave them out unless they want to add emphasis or contrast. Here is how that sounds in practice:
"Koju boju voliš?"
(What colour do you like?)"Volim žutu, ali ne volim crnu."
(I like yellow, but I do not like black.)
Notice that neither sentence uses ja or ti - the endings -is and -im carry that information perfectly well on their own. That pronoun-dropping habit is something to lean into early; it will make your Serbian sound much more natural from the start.
How to use it today
Right now, before you move on to anything else, try saying two sentences aloud. First, tell someone (or just the room) what you like: "Volim kafu." (I like coffee.) "Volim muziku." (I like music.) Then try the negative: "Ne volim kasno ustajanje." (I do not like getting up late.)
When you are comfortable with voleti, try the verb raditi (to work / to do) with exactly the same endings: radim, radiš, radi, radimo, radite, rade. You will find that the pattern sits in your memory almost without effort, because you have already been there with voleti.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I not always need to say "ja"?
Because the verb ending -im already means "I" - it is built into the word. Serbian is what linguists call a "pro-drop" language: the subject pronoun is dropped when the verb ending makes it clear. You will use ja when you want emphasis (Ja to volim, ne ti! - "I like it, not you!") but in ordinary sentences it is simply not needed. Dropping it is not rude or informal; it is just natural Serbian.
Is "voleti" conjugated like "raditi"?
Almost - both belong to the same broad conjugation class and share the endings -im, -is, -i, -imo, -ite, -e. There is a small spelling adjustment in some forms of certain verbs (the final consonant of the stem can shift), but for everyday use voleti and raditi behave as near-perfect siblings. Learn one pattern and you have the skeleton for the other.
Do I need the accusative case after "voleti"?
Yes - voleti is a transitive verb and takes a direct object in the accusative case. That is why crna (black, nominative) becomes crnu in ne volim crnu - the colour is the thing being liked, so it shifts into the accusative. For now, just note that the pattern exists; the accusative endings will become second nature as you practise more sentences.
I am Marina Petrovic, and voleti is genuinely one of my favourite verbs to teach because students light up when they realise they can already say something meaningful in Serbian within the first five minutes. You can. Keep going - every verb you learn from here feels a little easier than the last.
Ready to explore more present-tense patterns? The Serbian verb conjugations hub has the full picture - conjugation classes, irregular verbs, and plenty of examples to practise with.