Language/Serbian/Grammar/Verbs:-Participles

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Serbian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Verbs: Participles

Welcome to today's lesson on participles in Serbian! This is an exciting topic because it helps connect various aspects of the language, particularly verbs and adjectives. Participles serve as a bridge, allowing you to describe actions and states in a more nuanced way. Understanding how to use them will not only enhance your vocabulary but also give you a deeper insight into the structure of the Serbian language.

In this lesson, we'll explore:

• What participles are and their importance in Serbian.

• The different types of participles: active and passive.

• How to form participles from verbs.

• Examples to illustrate their use.

• Exercises to practice what you've learned.

Let's dive into the world of Serbian participles!

What are Participles?

Participles are verbal adjectives that describe the action of a verb while also functioning like an adjective. This means they can modify nouns and pronouns. In Serbian, we primarily deal with two types of participles: active participles and passive participles.

• Active Participles describe an action that is currently being carried out by the subject.

• Passive Participles describe an action that has been completed or received by the subject.

Understanding participles is crucial because they are often used in compound tenses and can add depth to your sentences.

Formation of Participles

Let's break down how to form participles in Serbian.

Active Participles

Active participles in Serbian are typically formed from the present tense of the verb.

Formation:

• For most verbs, take the verb stem and add specific suffixes.

Examples:

Serbian	Pronunciation	English
пишући	pišući	writing
говорећи	govoreći	speaking
играјући	igrajući	playing
читајући	čitajući	reading
учећи	učeći	learning
ходајући	hodajući	walking
маштајући	maštajući	dreaming
слушајући	slušajući	listening
гледајући	gledajući	watching
радећи	radeći	working

Passive Participles

Passive participles are formed from the past tense of the verb, and they indicate an action that has been done to the subject.

Formation:

• For most verbs, take the past tense form and adjust it to create the participle.

Examples:

Serbian	Pronunciation	English
написан	napisan	written
речен	rečen	said
играна	igrana	played
прочитан	pročitana	read
учен	učen	learned
обављен	obavljen	completed
слушан	slušana	listened
запамћен	zapamćen	remembered
виден	viđen	seen
урађен	urađen	done

Usage of Participles

Participles can be used in various contexts. Let’s look at how they function within a sentence.

1. Describing Current Actions:

• Active participles are often used to describe what someone is doing at the moment.

• Example: Дете пишући у свесци, изгледа веома срећно. (The child, writing in the notebook, looks very happy.)

2. Describing Completed Actions:

• Passive participles can describe actions that have already taken place.

• Example: Књига је прочитана. (The book has been read.)

3. Forming Compound Tenses:

• Participles are also essential in constructing compound tenses.

• Example: Он је читао књигу, пишући белешке. (He was reading the book, writing notes.)

4. As Adjuncts:

• Participles can add additional information about the subject.

• Example: Млада жена, играјући на гитари, привукла је пажњу свих. (The young woman, playing the guitar, attracted everyone's attention.)

5. Forming Complex Sentences:

• Using participles allows you to create more complex and informative sentences.

• Example: Обављајући своје обавезе, он је заборавио на састанак. (While completing his tasks, he forgot about the meeting.)

Exercises

Now that we've covered the basics, it's time for some practice! Below are some exercises to help reinforce your understanding of participles.

Exercise 1: Identify the Participles

Read the sentences below and identify the participles used.

1. Мачка спавајући на сунцу изгледа срећно.

2. Књига написана од аутора је веома интересантна.

3. Деца играјући у парку су се весело смејала.

Solutions:

1. спавајући (active participle)

2. написана (passive participle)

3. играјући (active participle)

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the following sentences with the correct participles.

1. Он _____ (читати) књигу у парку.

2. Песма _____ (снимити) пре неколико дана је веома популарна.

Solutions:

1. читајући

2. снимљена

Exercise 3: Translate the Sentences

Translate the following sentences into Serbian, making sure to use the correct participles.

1. The child is drawing.

2. The book has been written.

Solutions:

1. Дете црта.

2. Књига је написана.

Exercise 4: Create Sentences

Using the provided participles, create sentences.

1. играјући

2. написан

Solutions:

1. Деца играјући у парку су се забављала. (The children, playing in the park, had fun.)

2. Књига написана од аутора је веома узбудљива. (The book written by the author is very exciting.)

Exercise 5: Match the Participles with their Verbs

Match the participles with their corresponding verbs.

1. говорећи

2. написан

3. читајући

4. обављен

| Participles | Verbs |

|-------------------|----------------|

| говорећи | говорити |

| написан | написати |

| читајући | читати |

| обављен | обавити |

Solutions:

1 - говорити

2 - написати

3 - читати

4 - обавити

Exercise 6: Create Passive Participles

Convert the following verbs into passive participles.

1. писати

2. радити

3. урадити

Solutions:

1. написан

2. урађен

3. урађен

Exercise 7: Identify the Type of Participles

Classify the following participles as active or passive.

1. пишући

2. обављен

3. играјући

4. написан

Solutions:

1. активни

2. пасивни

3. активни

4. пасивни

Exercise 8: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite the following sentences using participles.

1. Он је читао књигу. Он је писао белешке.

2. Она је певала песму. Она је свирала гитару.

Solutions:

1. Он читајући књигу, писао је белешке. (While reading the book, he was writing notes.)

2. Она, певајући песму, свирала је гитару. (She, singing the song, was playing the guitar.)

Exercise 9: Fill in the Gaps in Context

Fill in the gaps using the appropriate participles.

1. _____ (учити) језик је веома важно.

2. Сваки пут када _____ (говорити) на српском, осећам се боље.

Solutions:

1. Учење

2. Говорим

Exercise 10: Group Activity

In pairs, create a short dialogue using at least three participles.

Example:

• A: Шта радиш?

• B: Играјући фудбал, забављам се. А ти?

• A: Читајући књигу, учим нове речи.

This concludes our lesson on participles in Serbian! I hope you found it engaging and informative. Participles are a powerful tool in the language, allowing you to communicate more effectively. Keep practicing, and you will surely master this essential aspect of Serbian grammar.

Table of Contents - Serbian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Serbian Grammar

• Nouns: Gender and Number
• Cases: Nominative and Accusative
• Pronouns: Personal Pronouns
• Verbs: Present Tense
• Verbs: Past Tense

  ---

Introduction to Serbian Vocabulary

• Greetings and Introductions
• Numbers and Counting
• Food and Drink
• Family and Relationships
• Transportation and Directions

  ---

Introduction to Serbian Culture

• Traditional Serbian Music
• Religious Festivals
• Folk Dances
• Serbian Films
• Cuisine

  ---

Pronouns: Possessive Pronouns

• Verbs: Future Tense
• Adjectives: Comparative and Superlative
• Verbs: Imperative

  ---

Shopping

• Clothes and Accessories
• At the Market
• Banking and Money

  ---

Sports and Recreation

• Football in Serbia
• Winter Sports
• Music Festivals

  ---

Adjectives: Declension

• Verbs: Perfective and Imperfective
• Verbs: Reflexive Verbs

  ---

Jobs and Professions

• Places around Town
• Education and Learning

  ---

Literature and Poetry

• Medieval Serbian Literature
• Contemporary Serbian Poetry

  ---

Verbs: Conditional

• Verbs: Participles
• Verbs: Infinitives

  ---

Entertainment and Media

• Movies and Theater
• Music and Performances

  ---

Art and Artists

• Famous Serbian Painters
• Contemporary Serbian Art Scene

Sources

• Learn Serbian language – Fast Language Mastery
• Serbian Grammar - Past Participle in Serbian

Other Lessons

• Verbs: Perfective and Imperfective
• Verbs: Present Tense
• Verbs: Imperative
• Cases: Nominative and Accusative
• 0 to A1 Course
• Verbs: Reflexive Verbs
• Adjectives
• Plural
• Conditional Mood
• Future Tense

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