Language/Bosnian/Grammar/Plurals

Bosnian Grammar - Plurals

Hi Bosnian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about plural nouns in Bosnian. Plural nouns refer to more than one person, place, or thing. In English, most plural nouns are formed by adding -s or -es to the end of a word, but in Bosnian, the rules are a bit more complex.

Forming Plurals

In Bosnian, the plural form of a noun is formed in several different ways, depending on the gender and ending of the noun. Here are some general rules to keep in mind:

Adding -i

For most masculine nouns ending in a consonant, you can form the plural by adding -i to the end of the word. For example:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
pas	/pâːs/	dog
psi	/psî/	dogs

Adding -e

Feminine nouns that end in -a can often be made plural by replacing the -a with -e. For example:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
jabuka	/jâbuka/	apple
jabuke	/jâbuke/	apples

Note that not all feminine nouns follow this rule.

Adding -a

Some masculine nouns ending in a consonant can form their plural by adding -a to the end of the word. For example:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
grad	/grâːd/	city
gradovi	/gradovî/	cities

Adding -ovi and -evi

Some masculine nouns ending in -a, -e, -i, or -o can form their plural by adding either -ovi or -evi to the end of the word. For example:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
slušalica	/sluʃâlitsa/	headphones
slušalice	/sluʃâlitse/	headphones

Note that not all masculine nouns ending in -a, -e, -i, or -o follow this rule.

Changing the Stem

Some nouns change their stem in the plural form. For example:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
majka	/mâjka/	mother
majke	/mâjke/	mothers

In this example, the -a in the stem of the noun changes to -e in the plural form.

Exceptions

As with any language, there are always exceptions to the rules. Here are some common exceptions to the plural rules:

Masculine Nouns with a Soft Stem

Masculine nouns that end in a soft consonant (e.g. c, č, š, ž, đ) have a different plural form. Instead of adding -i or -a, you add -evi or -ovi to the end of the stem. For example:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
kolač	/kôlaʧ/	cake
kolačevi	/kôlaʧevî/	cakes

Irregular Plurals

Some nouns have irregular plural forms that do not follow any discernible pattern. Here are a few examples:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
dijete	/dîjete/	child
djeca	/djêtsa/	children
zub	/zûb/	tooth
zubi	/zûbî/	teeth
oko	/ôko/	eye
oči	/ôtʃî/	eyes

Dialogue

• Person 1: Imam jedan pas. (I have one dog.)
• Person 2: Koliko pasa imaš? (How many dogs do you have?)
• Person 1: Imam tri psa. (I have three dogs.)

Culture and Interesting Facts

Bosnian is a Slavic language spoken mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Serbia, Croatia, and Montenegro. It is an official language of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is spoken by over 2 million people worldwide.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a rich cultural heritage, with influences from Christianity, Islam, and other religions. Traditional Bosnian music is often played on instruments such as the accordion and the clarinet, and is characterized by its melancholic melodies and soulful lyrics.

Practice

To practice forming plural nouns in Bosnian, try translating the following words into their plural forms:

• kuća (house)
• mačka (cat)
• pjesma (song)
• čovjek (man)

Conclusion

In this lesson, we learned about forming plural nouns in Bosnian. We saw that the rules for forming plurals depend on the gender and ending of the noun, and that there are exceptions to these rules. By practicing these rules, you will be able to speak Bosnian more fluently and communicate more effectively with native speakers. Don't forget to find native speakers on Polyglot Club and ask them any questions if you have any doubts.

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

Sources

• Bosnian language
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bosnian music
• Plural