Language/Bosnian/Grammar/Adjectives

Bosnian Grammar - Adjectives

Hi Bosnian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on the use of adjectives in the Bosnian language. Adjectives are an essential part of any language, and they help us describe nouns by either giving more information about their physical attributes or their perceived qualities. Understanding the rules and the various types of adjectives in Bosnian is critical in developing your language skills. In this lesson, we will break down the different adjective forms, see how they change based on gender and number, and when they come before or after the noun. But first, let's use the Find native speakers and ask them any questions if you need further help on this topic. 😊

Types of Adjectives

In Bosnian, adjectives have different forms depending on the type they belong to. The main types of adjectives are:

Adjective Type	Description
Opisni pridjevi	Descriptive Adjectives - These adjectives describe the physical attributes and perceived qualities of a noun. They answer the question "Kakav?" which means "What kind of?"
Znakovni pridjevi	Qualifying Adjectives - These adjectives give additional information to the noun that is already known to the listener. They answer the question "Koji?" which means "Which?"
Possessivni pridjevi	Possessive Adjectives - These adjectives show ownership or possession of the noun. They answer the question "Čiji?" which means "Whose?"

Descriptive Adjectives

Descriptive adjectives are the most common type of adjectives in Bosnian. They describe the physical attributes and perceived qualities of a noun. They also agree with the noun in gender, number, and case, which means they change accordingly. The most common question these adjectives answer is "Kakav/kakva/kakvo/kakvi?" which means "What kind of?".

Let's take a look at some examples:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
Crven	tsrven	Red
Bijel	bee-yell	White
Glatk	glahtk	Smooth
Lijep	lee-yep	Beautiful
Pametan	pah-meh-tan	Intelligent

Now let's use some of these examples in a dialogue:

• Person 1: Vidjela sam crveno cvijeće u tvom vrtu. (I saw red flowers in your garden.)
• Person 2: Hvala. Bijeli su mi omiljeni. (Thank you. White ones are my favourite.)

Qualifying Adjectives

Qualifying adjectives give additional information about the noun that is already known to the listener. They usually come after the noun, and they do not change based on gender or number. The most common question these adjectives answer is "Koji/koja/koje/koji?" which means "Which?".

Here are some examples:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
Grad u kojem živim.	grahd oo koyem zhee-veem	The city I live in.
Film koji sam pogledao.	feelm koyi sam po-gledao	The movie I watched.
Pjesma koju sviraš.	p-yeh-sma koyu svee-rash	The song you're playing.

Let's use some of these examples in a dialogue:

• Person 1: Sviđa mi se grad u kojem živiš. (I like the city you live in.)
• Person 2: Da, grad je lijep, a ljudi su još ljepši. (Yes, the city is beautiful, and people are even more beautiful.)

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives show ownership or possession of the noun. They agree with the noun in gender and number, and they come before the noun. The most common question these adjectives answer is "Čiji/čija/čije/čiji?" which means "Whose?".

Here are some examples:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
Moja knjiga	moya knyiga	My book
Tvoj automobil	tvoy otomobeel	Your car
Njegov pas	nye-gov pas	His dog

Now let's use some of these examples in a dialogue:

• Person 1: Lijep ti je novi automobil. (Your new car is beautiful.)
• Person 2: Hvala. Tvoj pas je također ljep. (Thank you. Your dog is also beautiful.)

Adjectives and Word Order

When the adjective is a descriptive adjective or a possessive adjective, it usually comes before the noun. However, there are instances where the adjective can come after the noun, usually when the adjective is used to create emphasis or to change the meaning of the sentence.

Here are some examples:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
Čovjek bogat u duhu.	choveyek bo-gaht oo doo-hoo	A man rich in spirit.
Djevojka lijepa kao ruža.	dyevoyka lee-yepa kao roo-zha	A girl beautiful as a rose.
Dečko, tvoj novi prijatelj, je pametan.	dechko, tvoy no-vee pree-yatelj, ye pah-meh-tan	The boy, your new friend, is intelligent.

Let's use some of these examples in a dialogue:

• Person 1: Čovjek bogat novim iskustvima je sretan. (A man rich in new experiences is happy.)
• Person 2: Također, čovjek bogat novim idejama je također sretan. (Also, a man rich in new ideas is also happy.)

There are also instances where the adjective comes after the noun to change the meaning of the sentence. Here are some examples:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
Stolica zelena.	sto-leetsa zeh-lehna	A chair that is (coloured) green.
Zelena stolica.	zeh-lehna sto-leetsa	A green chair (as opposed to other colours).

Conclusion

Learning adjectives is an essential step in mastering Bosnian grammar. Be sure to practice writing and speaking them in context. You can also use the Polyglot Club website to find native speakers and continue practicing!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.

➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: Personal pronouns, Introduction to Bosnian Grammar: Verbs and Conjugation, Plurals & Questions and Negations.

Other Lessons

• Gender
• Negation
• Questions
• How to Use Have
• How to Use Be
• Personal pronouns
• Future Tense
• Plurals
• Nouns

Sources

• Bosnian Adjectives