Osnovni veznici
Overview
Conjunctions link words and clauses together. This lesson covers eight that come up constantly even at A1: и, а, или, али for joining two ideas, and да, јер, ако, кад(а) for building longer sentences. None of them ever change form - unlike nouns, adjectives and verbs, they're the one fully fixed word class you've met so far.
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), not the grammatical but overwhelmingly avoided Желим учити.
Јер and зато што both mean because and are interchangeable: Не долазим јер сам болестан. Ако (if) introduces a condition and кад(а) (when) introduces a time: Ако имаш времена, дођи. (If you have time, come.) Кад дођеш, јави ми се. (When you come, let me know.)
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 overwhelmingly dominant, standard construction in modern Serbian, even though the infinitive itself remains grammatical.
Tables
| 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
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 overwhelmingly preferred да + present after желети has no word-for-word English equivalent and needs separate practice.
Common mistakes
Tips & exceptions
- 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; the bare infinitive after these verbs is simply not standard Serbian.
- Јер and зато што are freely interchangeable for because - pick whichever is easier to say; just don't use зато alone for that meaning.
- 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 everyday and standard speech overwhelmingly replaces it with да + present - a shared trait with Bulgarian and Macedonian, which have lost the infinitive completely.
Summary
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