In на време “on time,” на први поглед “at first glance,” and с друге стране “on the other hand,” each word is familiar, but the phrase is selected as a unit. Its preposition, case, number, and usual meaning are partly fixed. Replacing one element with an English-looking alternative often creates a phrase that is interpretable but not idiomatic.
These expressions lie between ordinary prepositional syntax and full idioms. Many still accept productive complements—у вези са уговором, на основу доказа—yet their internal frame must be preserved. This page focuses on those frames; the general case system is covered in the preposition government map.
Time and organization
Several frequent phrases use common nouns in a conventional case:
| Phrase | Meaning | Internal form |
|---|---|---|
| на време | on time; in time | на + accusative |
| у то време | at that time | у + accusative |
| с времена на време | from time to time | fixed alternating frame |
| у међувремену | in the meantime | у + locative |
| по правилу | as a rule | по + locative |
| на крају | in the end; at the end | на + locative |
Стигли смо на време за почетак представе, иако је саобраћај био успорен.
We arrived in time for the start of the performance, although traffic was slow.
У то време сам радила ноћну смену, па смо се виђале само с времена на време.
At that time I worked the night shift, so we saw each other only from time to time. (female speaker and female addressee/group)
Док чекате резултате, у међувремену можете да припремите осталу документацију.
While you wait for the results, you can prepare the remaining documents in the meantime.
English time does not choose one Serbian preposition. На време evaluates punctuality, у то време locates an event in a period, and с времена на време expresses low frequency. Treating them as variants of one compositional phrase hides the contrast.
Viewpoint and evaluation
Phrases such as на први поглед, у суштини, у ствари, and у просеку frame how a statement should be understood.
На први поглед стан делује мрачно, али поподне у дневну собу улази много светлости.
At first glance the apartment seems dark, but in the afternoon the living room gets plenty of light.
Предлози се разликују у детаљима, али су у суштини веома слични.
The proposals differ in detail, but they are essentially very similar.
Мислио сам да је састанак отказан; у ствари, само је померен за четвртак.
I thought the meeting had been canceled; in fact, it was only moved to Thursday. (male speaker)
Корисници у просеку чекају мање од три минута на одговор оператера.
Users wait less than three minutes on average for an operator's response.
У ствари corrects or refines a belief; у суштини strips away details to identify the core. They may both translate English actually/basically in loose contexts, but they perform different discourse work. На први поглед explicitly limits a judgment to an initial impression.
Frames with an external complement
Formal and professional Serbian uses many multiword frames whose final element governs a complement. The case after that element is not optional.
| Complete frame | Register and meaning | Model |
|---|---|---|
| у вези са + I | regarding (formal/neutral professional) | у вези са конкурсом |
| у складу са + I | in accordance with (formal) | у складу са законом |
| с обзиром на + A | given, considering | с обзиром на околности |
| без обзира на + A | regardless of | без обзира на цену |
| на основу + G | on the basis of (formal) | на основу уговора |
| у зависности од + G | depending on | у зависности од времена |
| за разлику од + G | unlike, in contrast to | за разлику од брата |
| у односу на + A | in relation to; compared with | у односу на прошлу годину |
С обзиром на кратак рок, понуду ћемо послати без обзира на то што још немамо коначну цену.
Given the short deadline, we will send the offer even though we still do not have the final price.
Исплата ће бити извршена у складу са уговором и на основу потписаног записника.
Payment will be made in accordance with the contract and on the basis of the signed record. (formal)
Цена доставе мења се у зависности од тежине пакета и места испоруке.
The delivery price changes depending on the parcel's weight and delivery location.
Notice the layers in у вези са новим правилником: у вези is fixed, са governs instrumental, and the adjective agrees with правилником. Freezing the frame does not freeze the complement's inflection.
Contrast and argumentative orientation
С једне стране ... с друге стране organizes two perspectives. Both phrases use с + genitive, and the adjectives agree with стране. English on the one hand cannot be translated with spatial на here.
С једне стране, рад од куће штеди време; с друге стране, не одговара сваком тиму.
On the one hand, working from home saves time; on the other hand, it does not suit every team.
По сваку цену means “at any cost” and normally carries an emphatic or critical implication. У корист + genitive and на штету + genitive evaluate who benefits or loses; they are common in analytical and legal prose (formal).
Не желим да победимо по сваку цену ако би то било на штету млађих играча.
I don't want us to win at any cost if that would harm the younger players.
Комисија је пресудила у корист станара, а не у корист инвеститора.
The commission ruled in favor of the tenants, not the investor. (formal)
These frames can be moved as constituents, but their internal order stays stable. На штету корисника may stand initially for contrast; it does not become штети на корисника.
Fixed does not mean completely rigid
Some frames allow limited, meaningful variation. На самом почетку adds focus inside на почетку; на основу нових доказа adds an agreeing modifier to the genitive complement. Other substitutions destroy the expression: под правилом is not a variant of adverbial по правилу, and са друге руке is an English calque, not Serbian “on the other hand.”
The same surface phrase can also retain a literal meaning. На крају улице identifies a physical endpoint; clause-level на крају смо пристали means “in the end we agreed.” Context and the presence of a genitive complement usually disambiguate them.
На крају улице налази се мала пекара, а на крају смо баш тамо купили ручак.
There is a small bakery at the end of the street, and in the end that is exactly where we bought lunch.
Situational dialogue
— Да ли ћемо завршити извештај на време? — По правилу нам требају три дана. Ипак, с обзиром на хитан рок, можемо да поделимо посао. — У реду. У међувремену ћу проверити бројеве у вези са прошлогодишњим трошковима.
— Will we finish the report on time? — As a rule, we need three days. Still, given the urgent deadline, we can divide the work. — All right. In the meantime, I'll check the figures related to last year's costs.
Each phrase contributes a different relation: punctuality, general practice, relevant circumstances, intervening time, and topic connection.
Practice Tasks
Task 1: Supply the complement case
Одлука је донета на основу нових доказа, у складу са важећим прописима и без обзира на притисак јавности.
The decision was made on the basis of new evidence, in accordance with current regulations, and regardless of public pressure. Answer: genitive after на основу, instrumental after у складу са, accusative after без обзира на.
Task 2: Choose the intended viewpoint
На први поглед план је сложен, али је у суштини заснован на само два правила.
At first glance the plan is complex, but in essence it is based on only two rules. Answer: initial impression versus underlying core.
Common Mistakes
Calquing English “on the other hand”
❌ На другој руци, закуп је скупљи него раније.
Incorrect calque — Serbian uses the fixed phrase с друге стране.
✅ С друге стране, закуп је скупљи него раније.
On the other hand, the rent is more expensive than before.
Changing the preposition in с обзиром на
❌ Са обзиром на гужву, кренули смо сат раније.
Nonstandard in this fixed frame — careful Serbian uses с обзиром на.
✅ С обзиром на гужву, кренули смо сат раније.
Given the traffic, we left an hour earlier.
Dropping са from у вези са
❌ Пишем вам у вези вашег захтева за повраћај новца.
Incorrect in careful standard Serbian — у вези са requires an instrumental complement.
✅ Пишем вам у вези са вашим захтевом за повраћај новца.
I am writing regarding your request for a refund. (formal)
Using one time phrase for every meaning
❌ На време сам живео близу железничке станице.
Incorrect for ‘at that time’ — на време expresses punctuality.
✅ У то време сам живео близу железничке станице.
At that time I lived near the railway station. (male speaker)
Key Takeaways
- Learn preposition + fixed noun form + external government as a single frame.
- Familiar nouns do not make the phrases freely compositional: на време and у то време serve different functions.
- Formal frames preserve their complements: у складу са + instrumental, на основу + genitive, с обзиром на + accusative.
- Some phrases organize discourse as well as syntax: у ствари, у суштини, с друге стране.
- Modifiers may vary, but the phrase's lexical anchor and governing preposition normally do not.
Now practice Serbian
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Start learning Serbian →Related Topics
- Light-Verb CollocationsB2 — Common verb+noun combinations (doneti odluku, postaviti pitanje).
- Abstract and Causal PrepositionsB1 — zbog, radi, o, po, prema and their abstract uses.
- Preposition Pitfalls for English SpeakersB1 — The mismatches that cause the most errors.
- Prepositions Govern CaseA2 — How each preposition demands a specific case (or two).
- Focus, Contrast, and Final PositionB2 — A focused guide to focus, contrast, and final position in Serbian.
- Common IdiomsB2 — High-frequency Serbian idiomatic expressions.