Genitive after Prepositions | Serbian Grammar

Serbian has a large set of prepositions that consistently govern the genitive. They express source, separation, absence, spatial reference, time, cause, and opposition: из стана, без карте, поред реке, после ручка, због кише.

The safest habit is to learn each preposition together with + genitive. English translations are not reliable case labels: English “from” corresponds to из, са, or од in different situations, while English “near” may correspond to близу + genitive.

The Phrase Must Agree Throughout

Once a preposition assigns genitive, every agreeing word in the noun phrase takes genitive form.

Gender/number	Base phrase	After без
masculine singular	овај нови рачун	без овог новог рачуна
feminine singular	ова важна адреса	без ове важне адресе
neuter singular	ово топло млеко	без овог топлог млека
plural	ови важећи документи	без ових важећих докумената

Без ове важне адресе достављач неће пронаћи улаз.

Without this important address, the delivery driver won't find the entrance.

Пакет не можемо да преузмемо без важећих докумената.

We cannot collect the package without valid documents.

The preposition governs the whole phrase, not only the noun. For full noun paradigms, see Genitive Forms.

Source: из, са, and од

All three can translate as “from,” but they choose different spatial perspectives.

Preposition	Core perspective	Typical pair
из + G	out of an interior; origin	у канцеларији → из канцеларије
са + G	off a surface; away from an event/place framed with на	на столу → са стола; на послу → са посла
од + G	away from a point/person; source or sender	код лекара → од лекара

Изашла је из канцеларије и узела фасциклу са стола.

She came out of the office and picked up the folder from the desk.

Управо се враћам од лекара, па ћу мало каснити.

I'm just coming back from the doctor's, so I'll be a little late.

После кратког састанка кренули смо право са посла на концерт.

After a short meeting, we went straight from work to the concert.

The last sentence deliberately contains genitive после кратког састанка and са посла for two different relations. Do not choose од merely because English says “from.” Learn the Serbian location pair: у/из, на/са, код/од.

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Store source expressions as round trips: у школу — из школе, на пијацу — са пијаце, код баке — од баке.

Absence, Exclusion, Substitution, and Opposition

Common prepositions in this group are без “without,” осим “except/besides,” уместо “instead of,” and против “against.” Each takes genitive.

Сви осим новог колеге већ знају како систем ради.

Everyone except the new colleague already knows how the system works.

Уместо белог хлеба узели смо две векне ражаног.

Instead of white bread, we bought two loaves of rye bread.

Већина станара гласала је против предложеног повећања кирије.

Most tenants voted against the proposed rent increase.

English “against” can describe physical contact too, but Serbian против packages opposition and takes genitive. A different spatial construction may be needed for literal contact. Again, translation alone does not determine the case.

Position Relative to a Reference Point

Many spatial prepositions locate something relative to another object: код “at/near someone's place,” близу “near,” поред/крај “beside,” испред “in front of,” иза “behind,” изнад “above,” испод “below,” између “between,” and око “around.”

Нови киоск се налази између главног улаза и мале фонтане.

The new kiosk is between the main entrance and the small fountain.

Сачекаћу те испред старе поште, поред аутобуског стајалишта.

I'll wait for you in front of the old post office, beside the bus stop.

Деца су се окупила око великог дрвеног стола.

The children gathered around the large wooden table.

With између, both coordinated complements are genitive: између улаза и фонтане. With a plural complement, the form is genitive plural: између високих зграда. The preposition supplies a reference geometry rather than a literal English “of/from” meaning.

Time, Limits, Cause, and Purpose

Several extremely frequent time expressions also take genitive: пре “before,” после “after,” током “during,” and the range од … до “from … to/until.” Spatial до likewise marks a limit or endpoint.

После кратког састанка остаћу у канцеларији до шест сати.

After the short meeting, I'll stay in the office until six o'clock.

Током следеће недеље радићемо од куће.

During the following week, we'll work from home.

Cause is commonly expressed by због + genitive. Purpose ради + genitive is (formal) in many contexts; everyday Serbian often uses a clause or another more explicit construction.

Воз касни због густе магле на прузи.

The train is late because of thick fog on the line.

Документа су достављена ради провере података.

The documents were submitted for the purpose of verifying the information.

The final sentence is (formal) administrative style. Do not confuse због (cause: what produced a situation) with ради (intended purpose: what an action aims to achieve).

A Crucial Contrast: с/са + Genitive or Instrumental

The same written preposition с/са governs two different cases and meanings. Source са + genitive means “from/off”; accompaniment с/са + instrumental means “with.”

Склонио сам шољу са новог стола.

I moved the cup off the new table.

Разговарао сам с новим столаром о поправци.

I spoke with the new carpenter about the repair.

Genitive са новог стола contrasts with instrumental с новим столаром. The form са is preferred before difficult clusters and words beginning with с, ш, з, ж; this phonological choice does not change government. See S/sa: With and From.

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For с/са, ask about meaning before case: source from a на-location takes genitive; accompaniment takes instrumental.

Syncretism Still Requires Context

Some genitive forms look like other cases. Masculine animate младог тренера can be genitive after без or accusative as a direct object. Feminine ноћи can represent several cells.

Екипа је отпутовала без младог тренера.

The team traveled without the young coach.

Екипа је поздравила младог тренера после утакмице.

The team greeted the young coach after the match.

Без proves genitive in the first sentence; поздравити proves accusative in the second. Never label a case from the ending alone.

Practice Task 1: Choose the Source Preposition

Select из, са, or од and put the noun phrase in genitive.

Изашли смо из препуне сале чим се предавање завршило.

We left the packed hall as soon as the lecture ended. Answer: an interior framed with у takes source из.

Скинула је кутију са највише полице без помоћи.

She took the box down from the highest shelf without help. Answer: a surface framed with на takes source са.

Вратили смо се од добрих пријатеља касно увече.

We returned from our good friends' place late in the evening. Answer: a person's place framed with код takes source од.

Practice Task 2: Decline the Whole Phrase

Put the phrase in parentheses after the given preposition.

Седели смо поред отвореног кухињског прозора.

We sat beside the open kitchen window. Answer: отворени кухињски прозор → отвореног кухињског прозора.

Састанак је отказан због неочекиваних техничких проблема.

The meeting was canceled because of unexpected technical problems. Answer: the entire plural phrase is genitive.

Common Mistakes

1. Translating every English “from” with од.

❌ Управо сам изашао од продавнице.

Incorrect — movement out of the store requires из + genitive.

✅ Управо сам изашао из продавнице.

I've just come out of the store.

2. Leaving modifiers in nominative.

❌ Чекамо испред главни улаз већ десет минута.

Incorrect — испред governs genitive across the phrase: главног улаза.

✅ Чекамо испред главног улаза већ десет минута.

We've been waiting in front of the main entrance for ten minutes.

3. Using instrumental after source са.

❌ Узео је књигу са високом полицом.

Incorrect — source ‘off the shelf’ needs genitive са високе полице, not instrumental.

✅ Узео је књигу са високе полице.

He took the book from the high shelf.

4. Using genitive after a preposition that governs another case.

❌ Упркос јаке кише, утакмица је одиграна.

Incorrect — упркос governs dative, not genitive: јакој киши.

✅ Упркос јакој киши, утакмица је одиграна.

Despite the heavy rain, the match was played.

Key Takeaways

Learn a Serbian preposition together with the case it governs.
Use из for movement out of an interior, са from a surface or на-place, and од away from a point/person.
Absence, relative position, time, cause, and opposition account for many other genitive prepositions.
Са + genitive marks source; с/са + instrumental marks accompaniment.
Decline every determiner and adjective with the noun, and use the governor to resolve syncretic endings.

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