~7 min · 11 exercises

Part of the unit “And, but, or: joining ideas”

Osnovni veznici

basic-conjunctions

Overview

This lesson covers eight common conjunctions: и, а, или, али join ideas; да, јер, ако, кад(а) build longer sentences. Conjunctions do not change form.

Coordinating conjunctions - и, а, или, али

И (and) simply adds one thing after another with no contrast implied: Волим кафу и чај. (I like coffee and tea.) А also translates as and, but it specifically contrasts two things placed side by side: Ја пијем кафу, а он пије чај. (I drink coffee, and/whereas he drinks tea.)

Или (or) offers a choice: Хоћеш ли кафу или чај? Али (but) is a stronger contrast than а - it overrides an expectation rather than just placing two facts side by side: Уморан сам, али идем на посао. (I'm tired, but I'm going to work.)

Subordinating conjunctions - да, јер, ако, кад(а)

Да (that/so that) introduces a subordinate clause: Мислим да си у праву. (I think that you're right.) Crucially, да + the present tense also replaces the infinitive after verbs like желети (want), морати (must) and моћи (can): Желим да учим српски. (I want to learn Serbian). An infinitive construction such as Желим учити also occurs, but да + present is the usual pattern here and the one this course teaches.

Јер and зато што both commonly mean because: Не долазим јер сам болестан. Their use can vary with the sentence. Ако (if) introduces a condition and кад(а) (when) introduces a time: Ако имаш времена, дођи. Кад дођеш, јави ми се.

Special cases

Зато alone means therefore/that's why, not because - don't confuse it with зато што (because), which functions like јер.

Да + present tense replacing the infinitive is not an optional stylistic flourish - it is the usual, standard construction in modern Serbian, even though the infinitive itself remains grammatical and the choice can depend on the verb, the context and the variety of Serbian.

Tables

Coordinating conjunctions
Conjunction	Meaning	Example
i	and (adds, no contrast)	Volim kafu i čaj.
a	and/whereas (contrast)	Ja pijem kafu, a on pije čaj.
ili	or	Kafu ili čaj?
ali	but (strong contrast)	Umoran sam, ali idem.

Examples

Volim kafu i čaj.

I like coffee and tea.

И simply adds, with no contrast intended.

Ja pijem kafu, a on pije čaj.

I drink coffee, whereas he drinks tea.

А places two facts side by side in contrast.

Hoćeš li kafu ili čaj?

Do you want coffee or tea?

Или offers a choice.

Umoran sam, ali idem na posao.

I'm tired, but I'm going to work.

Али is a stronger contrast than а.

Mislim da si u pravu.

I think that you're right.

Да introduces a subordinate clause, like that.

Želim da učim srpski.

I want to learn Serbian.

Да + present replaces the infinitive after желети.

Ne dolazim jer sam bolestan.

I'm not coming because I'm sick.

Јер = because.

Ako imaš vremena, dođi.

If you have time, come.

Ако introduces a condition.

Kad dođeš, javi mi se.

When you come, let me know.

Кад(а) introduces a time clause.

Compared with…

English collapses и and а into one word, and (occasionally but), so English speakers must learn to notice contrast and deliberately reach for а instead of defaulting to и. English also uses a plain infinitive after want (I want to learn), so Serbian's usual да + present after желети has no word-for-word English equivalent and needs separate practice.

Serbian

Želim da učim srpski.

English uses a bare infinitive; Serbian usually uses да + present.

English

I want to learn Serbian.

Common mistakes

Wrong

Ja pijem kafu, i on pije čaj.

Right

Ja pijem kafu, a on pije čaj.

Contrasting two facts side by side needs а, not the purely additive и.

Wrong

Želim da ići u Beograd.

Right

Želim da idem u Beograd.

After да comes a verb with a personal ending, not an infinitive. The pattern taught here after желети is да + present tense, the usual Serbian choice; the bare infinitive also occurs, but this course does not teach it.

Wrong

Ne dolazim zato sam bolestan.

Right

Ne dolazim jer sam bolestan.

Зато alone means therefore, not because - use јер or зато што for because.

Wrong

Umoran sam, a idem na posao.

Right

Umoran sam, ali idem na posao.

A concession (иако сам уморан, ипак идем - literally even though I am tired, I am still going) needs the stronger али, not the plain side-by-side contrast of а.

Tips & exceptions

Tips

Before using and, ask whether it's a plain addition (и) or a contrast between two things (а) - English hides this distinction inside one word.
After желети, морати and моћи, reach for да + present tense by reflex; it is the usual Serbian pattern here, and the bare infinitive is not what this course teaches.
Јер and зато што are freely interchangeable for because - pick whichever is easier to say; just don't use зато alone for that meaning.

Exceptions

Кад and када are both correct for when; кад is simply the more common spoken form.
А can occasionally introduce a new topic without real contrast (a discourse habit rather than a strict grammar rule), so context sometimes matters more than the textbook definition.
Serbian does have a grammatical infinitive form, but after verbs like желети it is usually replaced by да + present - a shared trait with Bulgarian and Macedonian, which have lost the infinitive completely.

Summary

И adds without contrast, а contrasts two facts side by side, или offers a choice, and али is a stronger but. Да introduces subordinate clauses and - critically - replaces the infinitive after verbs like желети; јер/зато што mean because, ако means if, and кад(а) means when. Да + present after желети has to be learned as its own fixed pattern, not assumed from any other verb-plus-infinitive habit.