Language/Bosnian/Grammar/Adjectives-and-Adverbs

Bosnian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Adjectives and Adverbs

Welcome to our lesson on Adjectives and Adverbs! This lesson is a fundamental step in your journey to mastering the Bosnian language. Understanding how to use adjectives and adverbs will allow you to make your conversations much more descriptive and engaging. You'll learn how to describe people, objects, and situations, as well as how to modify verbs and adjectives to convey more precise meanings.

As beginners, you might find this topic a bit challenging, but don't worry! We'll break it down into digestible sections, and by the end, you'll be able to express yourself more vividly in Bosnian.

Lesson Structure:

1. Introduction to Adjectives

2. Adjective Agreement in Gender and Number

3. Introduction to Adverbs

4. How to Form and Use Adverbs

5. Examples of Adjectives and Adverbs

6. Exercises and Practice Scenarios

Introduction to Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe nouns. They give us more information about a person, place, or thing. For example, in the phrase "the red car," the word "red" describes the noun "car." In Bosnian, adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify, which is an essential aspect of the language.

Here are some common adjectives in Bosnian:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
veliki	/ˈʋɛːlɪki/	big
mali	/ˈmâːli/	small
lijep	/ˈlijeːp/	beautiful
ružan	/ˈruːʒan/	ugly
pametan	/ˈpamɛtan/	smart
brz	/bɾz/	fast
spor	/spɔːr/	slow
dobar	/ˈdɔbɑr/	good
loš	/loʃ/	bad
mlad	/mlad/	young

Adjective Agreement in Gender and Number

In Bosnian, nouns have genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender and number (singular or plural). Let’s look at how this works:

• Masculine Singular: veliki (big)

• Feminine Singular: velika (big)

• Neuter Singular: veliko (big)

• Masculine Plural: veliki (big)

• Feminine Plural: velike (big)

• Neuter Plural: velika (big)

Here’s a table summarizing the agreement:

Gender	Singular	Plural
Masculine	veliki	veliki
Feminine	velika	velike
Neuter	veliko	velika

Now, let’s use some examples in sentences:

1. Mali pas (small dog) - the adjective "mali" agrees with the masculine noun "pas."

2. Mala mačka (small cat) - the adjective "mala" agrees with the feminine noun "mačka."

3. Malo dijete (small child) - the adjective "malo" agrees with the neuter noun "dijete."

4. Veliki psi (big dogs) - the adjective "veliki" agrees with the masculine plural noun "psi."

5. Velike mačke (big cats) - the adjective "velike" agrees with the feminine plural noun "mačke."

Introduction to Adverbs

Now, let’s turn our attention to adverbs. Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They tell us how, when, where, or to what extent something happens. For example, in the sentence "She runs quickly," the adverb "quickly" modifies the verb "runs."

In Bosnian, adverbs typically do not change form, which makes them a bit simpler than adjectives. Here are some common adverbs in Bosnian:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
brzo	/ˈbɾzɔ/	quickly
polako	/pɔˈlâːkɔ/	slowly
dobro	/ˈdɔbɾɔ/	well
loše	/ˈlɔʃɛ/	badly
lijepo	/ˈlijeːpɔ/	beautifully
lako	/ˈlâːkɔ/	easily
često	/ˈʧɛstɔ/	often
rijetko	/ˈɾjɛtʰkɔ/	rarely
sada	/ˈsâːda/	now
uvijek	/ˈuːvjɛk/	always

How to Form and Use Adverbs

Adverbs in Bosnian can be formed from adjectives by adding the suffix -o or -e. Here are some examples:

• Brz (fast) → brzo (quickly)

• Dobar (good) → dobro (well)

• Lijep (beautiful) → lijepo (beautifully)

Let’s look at how to use adverbs in sentences:

1. Trči brzo. (Run quickly.)

2. Govori polako. (Speak slowly.)

3. Igra dobro. (Play well.)

4. Pjeva lijepo. (Sings beautifully.)

5. Radi lako. (Works easily.)

Examples of Adjectives and Adverbs

To solidify your understanding, let’s look at a variety of examples combining adjectives and adverbs in sentences.

1. Ova knjiga je zanimljiva. (This book is interesting.)

2. On piše brzo i precizno. (He writes quickly and precisely.)

3. Ona je lijepa i pametna. (She is beautiful and smart.)

4. Pasa je mali, ali brzo trči. (The dog is small, but runs quickly.)

5. Ova torta je slatka i ukusna. (This cake is sweet and delicious.)

6. Igraju često na igralištu. (They often play at the playground.)

7. Moj prijatelj je dobar sportista. (My friend is a good athlete.)

8. Ona pjeva lijepo, ali često kasni. (She sings beautifully, but is often late.)

9. Moj auto je brz, ali star. (My car is fast, but old.)

10. Jedeš loše i ne vežbaš. (You eat badly and don’t exercise.)

Exercises and Practice Scenarios

Now it's time to put your knowledge to the test! Here are some exercises to help you practice using adjectives and adverbs in Bosnian:

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct adjective

1. Ova mačka je _______ (small).

2. On je _______ (smart) student.

3. Njihova kuća je _______ (big).

4. Ova slika je _______ (beautiful).

5. Pas je _______ (ugly).

Answers:

1. mala

2. pametan

3. velika

4. lijepa

5. ružan

Exercise 2: Match the adjectives to the nouns

• Column A:

1. _____ pas

2. _____ mačka

3. _____ dječak

4. _____ djevojčica

5. _____ torta

• Column B:

A. lijepa

B. slatka

C. mali

D. pametan

E. brza

Answers:

1 - C (mali pas)

2 - A (lijepa mačka)

3 - D (pametan dječak)

4 - A (lijepa djevojčica)

5 - B (slatka torta)

Exercise 3: Create sentences using given adjectives

1. pametan (smart) + dječak (boy)

2. brz (fast) + auto (car)

3. lijepa (beautiful) + žena (woman)

4. dobar (good) + prijatelj (friend)

5. mali (small) + pas (dog)

Possible Answers:

1. Dječak je pametan.

2. Auto je brz.

3. Žena je lijepa.

4. Prijatelj je dobar.

5. Pas je mali.

Exercise 4: Convert the adjectives into adverbs

1. brzo (fast) → _______

2. lijep (beautiful) → _______

3. dobar (good) → _______

4. loš (bad) → _______

5. lagan (light) → _______

Answers:

1. brzo

2. lijepo

3. dobro

4. loše

5. lagano

Exercise 5: Write sentences using the provided adverbs

1. često (often)

2. polako (slowly)

3. ružno (ugly)

4. lijepo (beautifully)

5. sada (now)

Possible Answers:

1. Često idem u školu.

2. On vozi polako.

3. Ona pjeva ružno.

4. On radi lijepo.

5. Sada je vreme za odmor.

Exercise 6: Identify the adjectives and adverbs in the sentences

1. Pas trči brzo.

2. Ona je lijepa i pametna.

3. Riba pliva sporo.

4. On je dobar prijatelj.

5. Dječak često igra fudbal.

Answers:

1. Adjective: Pas, Adverb: brzo

2. Adjectives: lijepa, pametna

3. Adjective: sporo

4. Adjective: dobar

5. Adjective: često

Exercise 7: Translate the following sentences to Bosnian

1. The big dog runs fast.

2. She sings beautifully.

3. My friend is smart and kind.

4. The cake is sweet and delicious.

5. They play often at the park.

Possible Answers:

1. Veliki pas trči brzo.

2. Ona pjeva lijepo.

3. Moj prijatelj je pametan i ljubazan.

4. Tortu je slatka i ukusna.

5. Oni često igraju u parku.

Exercise 8: Write a short paragraph describing your best friend using at least three adjectives and two adverbs.

Possible Answer:

Moj najbolji prijatelj je veoma pametan i dobar. Uvek pomaže drugima. On je i veoma talentovan, često svira gitaru lijepo.

Exercise 9: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the adjective

1. Ova _______ (big) kuća je prazna.

2. On ima _______ (good) ideje.

3. Njihov _______ (young) pas je srećan.

4. Ona je _______ (beautiful) devojka.

5. Ovo je _______ (bad) vreme.

Answers:

1. velika

2. dobre

3. mlad

4. lijepa

5. loše

Exercise 10: Create your own sentences using a mix of adjectives and adverbs.

Possible Answers:

• Ova knjiga je veoma zanimljiva i čitam je brzo.

• Moja sestra je lijepa i često se smeje.

• Pas trči polako, ali je veoma pametan.

Congratulations! You've just completed your lesson on adjectives and adverbs in Bosnian. By using these descriptive words, you can bring your conversations to life and communicate more effectively in your new language. Keep practicing, and soon enough, you'll find yourself expressing your thoughts with greater clarity and richness.

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

  ---

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

Sources

• Bosnian Adverbs

Other Lessons

• Questions
• Future Tense
• Gender
• How to Use Be
• Conditional Mood
• Articles and Nouns
• 0 to A1 Course
• How to Use Have
• Adjectives