Language/Bosnian/Grammar/Questions-and-Negations

Bosnian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Basic Bosnian Sentence Structure → Questions and Negations

Understanding Questions and Negations in Bosnian

As you continue your journey in learning the Bosnian language, it is important to understand how to form questions and negations. In this lesson, you will learn how to create interrogative and negative sentences using different verbs and subjects.

Basic Word Order in Bosnian

Before we dive into forming questions and negations in Bosnian, let's first review the basic word order in Bosnian sentences. In Bosnian, the word order typically follows the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) sequence. This means that the subject of the sentence comes first, followed by the verb and then the object. For example:

• Subject + Verb + Object: Ja volim Bosnu i Hercegovinu. (I love Bosnia and Herzegovina.)

It's important to note that while the SVO sequence is the most common word order in Bosnian, it is not the only one used. In some cases, the word order may change depending on the sentence structure or emphasis placed on certain words or phrases.

Forming Questions in Bosnian

To form a question in Bosnian, the most common method is to add a question particle at the end of the sentence. The question particle in Bosnian is "li". Here's an example:

• Sentence: Oni idu u šetnju. (They are going for a walk.)
• Question: Id-u li oni u šetnju? (Are they going for a walk?)

As you can see in the example above, the question particle "li" is added to the end of the verb "idu" to form the question. It's important to note that the word order in the question remains the same as in the original sentence: subject-verb-object.

In some cases, you may also form a question in Bosnian by adding a question word such as "ko" (who), "šta" (what), "kako" (how), "gdje" (where), and "zašto" (why) at the beginning of the sentence. Here's an example:

• Sentence: Oni idu u šetnju. (They are going for a walk.)
• Question: Kuda idu oni? (Where are they going?)

As you can see in the example above, the question word "kuda" (where) is added at the beginning of the sentence to form the question. The word order in this type of question is: question word-subject-verb-object.

Forming Negations in Bosnian

To form a negation in Bosnian, the most common method is to add the word "ne" before the verb. Here's an example:

• Sentence: Ja volim Bosnu i Hercegovinu. (I love Bosnia and Herzegovina.)
• Negation: Ja ne volim Bosnu i Hercegovinu. (I don't love Bosnia and Herzegovina.)

As you can see in the example above, the word "ne" is added before the verb "volim" to form the negation. The word order in the negation remains the same as in the original sentence: subject-verb-object.

It's important to note that in some cases, the word "ne" may be combined with other words to form a negation. For example:

• Sentence: On čita knjigu. (He is reading a book.)
• Negation: On ne čita knjigu. (He is not reading a book.)

In the example above, "ne" is combined with "čita" to form "ne čita" which means "not reading".

Practice Exercises

To practice forming questions and negations in Bosnian, let's take a look at some examples:

• Sentence: Ona pije čaj. (She is drinking tea.)
• Question: Pije li ona čaj? (Is she drinking tea?)
• Negation: Ona ne pije kafu. (She is not drinking coffee.)

• Sentence: Mi idemo u kino. (We are going to the movies.)
• Question: Idemo li mi u kino? (Are we going to the movies?)
• Negation: Mi ne idemo u pozorište. (We are not going to the theater.)

• Sentence: Ti voziš automobil. (You are driving a car.)
• Question: Voziš li ti automobil? (Are you driving a car?)
• Negation: Ti ne voziš motor. (You are not driving a motorcycle.)

Practice forming questions and negations using different verbs and subjects to improve your understanding and application of this grammar concept.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you have learned how to form questions and negations in Bosnian using different methods and sentence structures. By understanding how to create interrogative and negative sentences, you'll be able to communicate more effectively in the Bosnian language. Keep practicing and building your grammar skills to continue your journey towards fluency!

Well done on mastering this lesson! Don't miss these related pages to expand your knowledge: Negation & Present Tense.

Table of Contents - Bosnian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Bosnian Alphabet

• Bosnian Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Special Characters and Sounds

  ---

Basic Bosnian Sentence Structure

• Subject-Verb-Object
• Questions and Negations

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Common Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Gender and Plurals
• Personal Pronouns

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Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Ordering at a Restaurant

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Bosnian Customs and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Music and Dance

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparatives and Superlatives

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Hobbies and Leisure Activities

• Common Hobbies
• Sports and Fitness

  ---

Bosnian Literature and Cinema

• Famous Writers and Works
• Bosnian Cinema

Other Lessons

• Adjectives
• Personal pronouns
• Give your Opinion
• Past Tense
• Questions
• Comparatives and Superlatives
• How to Use Be
• Adjective Agreement
• Noun Gender and Plurals

Sources

• Bosnian Grammar | LEARN101.ORG