7 cases of the Bosnian language

If we want to master Bosnian, we have to deal with seven (that's right ... seven ...) cases.
Below we will give you an overview over those seven cases and their functions within a Bosnian sentence.


1rst case: Nominative

 
The subject of every Bosnian sentence is in the nominative case.
If you are asking for the subject, you use the interrogative pronouns Tko? (who? – m/f) / Što? (what? – n).
 
For example:
Knjiga je ÄŤitana od studenta.
(The book is read by the student.)
 

2nd case: Genitive

 
The genitive in Bosnian describes relations – like ownership, temporal relations or spatial distances.
We also use the genitive in Bosnian when we talk about quantity and numbers of persons or things.
The genitive is used to describe the origin of persons or things.
Some Bosnian prepositions demand to be combined together with a genitive form.
Also certain expressions of time only want to be seen and heard together with the genitive.
 
Such as:
  • bez (without)
  • do (until)
  • ispod (underneath)
  • blizu (near to)
  • kraj (next to)
  • umjesto (instead of)
  • zbog (because of)
 
If you are asking for a genitive form in a Bosnian sentence, you use the interrogative pronouns Koga? (whose? – m/f) or Čega? (whose? – n).
 
For example:
To je Adnanovo auto.
(This is Adnan’s car. / This is the car of Adnan.)
Ona Ĺľivi odvojeno od porodice.
(She lives separated from her family.)
 

3rd case: Dative

 
The function of the dative in a Bosnian sentence is to mark the indirect object.
If you analyse a Bosnian sentence and you want find out where the dative form is located, you ask:
Komu? (whom?, when the noun in the dative is animated)
ÄŚemu? (whom?, when the noun in the dative form is inanimated)
 
Some Bosnian verbs are always followed by the noun in the dative, e.g.:
  • dati (to give)
  • darovati (to gift)
  • reći (to say)
  • kupiti (to buy)
  • napisati (to write down)
  • poslati (to send)
  • poĹľaliti se (to regret)
 
Prepositions with dative:
  • ka (to)
  • nasuprot (in opposition to)
  • prema (compared to)
  • unatoÄŤ (in spite of)
 
You also need to get acquainted with Bosnian prepositions that ask for the usage of the dative:
  • k/ka (in direction to)
  • nadomak (near to)
  • nasuprot (opposite)
  • prema (to sth./so.)
  • protiv (against)
  • uprkos (nevertheless)
 
For example:
Petar darova svojoj prijateljici Ani buket cveća.
(Petar gives flowers to his friend Ana.)
 

4th case: Accusative

 
The function of the accusative in a Bosnian sentence is to mark the direct object.
If you a searching for the accusative in a Bosnian sentence, you ask:
Koga? (Who?)
ÄŚega? (What?)
 
The accusative is often used together with verbs that signalize a movement, such as:
  • (to throw)
  • (to bring)
  • (to hurry)
  • voziti se (to drive)
 
Some Bosnian prepositions call for the use of the accusative, e.g.:
  • kroz, (through)
  • meÄ‘u, (in between)
  • na, (on top of)
  • nad, (above)
  • niz, (out of)
  • o, (of)
  • po, (over sth.)
  • pod, (under sth.)
  • pred, (in front of)
  • u, (in)
  • za (for sth./so.)
 
For example:
Petar darova svojoj prijateljici Ani buket cveća.
(Petar gives flowers to his friend Ana.)
 

5th case: Locative

 
A Bosnian noun with a locative ending describes the whereabouts or the location of a person or an object.
If you try to track down a noun in the locative in a Bosnian sentence, you ask:
Gdje? (where?)
O ÄŤemu (where of?)
 
And please remember:
A noun in the locative always comes with a preposition!
It can come with the following:
  • na, (on)
  • o, (of)
  • po, (over sth.)
  • u pri (at)
 
For example:
Anino cveće stoji na stolu.
(Ana’s flowers are on the table.)
 

6th case: Instrumental

 
With the instrumental case Bosnian describes the means or the device with what an action is executed.
With the help of these question words, you can identify Bosnian nouns with instrumental endings:
S kim? (with whom?)
S ÄŚime? (with what?)
 

Please, try to get acquainted with this new case ending.
The English language doesn't know a case like this.

These prepositions stand together with instrumental case endings:
  • meÄ‘u (in between)
  • nad (a) (above)
  • pod (a) (under sth.)
  • pred (in front of)
  • s(a) (with)
  • za (for sth./so.)
 
For example:
Ana reže cveće nožem.
(Ana cuts the flowers with a knife.)
 

7th case: Vocative

 
We find vocative case endings in Bosnian whenever we want to address another person directly.
 
For example:
Ana, doneo sam ti cveće.
(Ana, I brought you flowers.)

To build correct sentences in Bosnian, you have to learn the case endings by heart.
To help you in learning all the case endings, we want to provide you with a system:
Bosnian nouns can be grouped in three types of declension: the “a declension”, the “e declension” and the “i declension”.
 
The following chapter will show you tables and tell you more about this system.


 

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