Serbian extends spatial relations into abstract ones. A cause can stand behind an event, a purpose can lie ahead of an action, a topic can surround a conversation, and a rule can serve as the path along which a decision is made. That is why the same prepositions recur in both concrete and abstract meanings.
The essential units are not English glosses but case-governed constructions: због + genitive, ради + genitive, о + locative, по + locative, and према + dative. Their cases remain stable even when their meanings become abstract.
If the case labels themselves are still new, review the preposition government map before working through the semantic contrasts below.
The case-governed map
| Construction | Central abstract meaning | Typical English rendering |
|---|---|---|
| због + genitive | cause or reason already operative | because of, due to |
| ради + genitive | intended purpose | for the sake/purpose of |
| о + locative | topic or object of thought/speech | about, on |
| по + locative | basis, criterion, sequence, distributed domain | according to, by, after |
| према + dative | orientation, attitude, standard, source attribution | toward, to, according to |
Због: the cause is already part of the explanation
Због + genitive names what caused, motivated, or explains a situation. It works with favorable as well as unfavorable causes; it does not inherently mean “because of something bad.”
Лет је одложен због густе магле изнад аеродрома.
The flight was postponed because of thick fog over the airport.
Управо због твоје препоруке одлучила сам да прочитам ту књигу.
It was precisely because of your recommendation that I decided to read that book.
The entire phrase is genitive: због новог распореда, због ове одлуке, због њих. Personal pronouns use full forms after a preposition.
Several close competitors classify causes more precisely. Од + genitive is common for an immediate physical or emotional cause (дрхтати од хладноће, плакати од среће); из + genitive can present an inner motive (из страха, из поштовања); услед + genitive is (formal) and common in technical or administrative explanations.
Задрхтала је од хладноће, али је из поштовања сачекала крај говора.
She shivered from the cold, but out of respect she waited until the end of the speech.
Због remains the broadly usable causal preposition. The alternatives are not ornamental synonyms: they construe the cause as an external explanation, direct stimulus, inner motive, or formal causal condition.
Ради: the purpose lies ahead
Ради + genitive names the goal for whose sake an action is performed. It is especially common in (formal), administrative, legal, and compressed written style.
Узорак је послат у лабораторију ради додатне анализе.
The sample was sent to the laboratory for additional analysis. (formal)
Ради безбедности путника возач је зауставио аутобус поред пута.
For the passengers' safety, the driver stopped the bus by the roadside. (formal)
In everyday speech, a purpose clause is often more natural: да бисмо проверили резултате “so that we can check the results.” Због провере can occur, but if the intended meaning is purpose, ради провере or a purpose clause is clearer.
Састали смо се да бисмо проверили све бројеве пре објављивања.
We met so that we could check all the figures before publication.
Using ради for an actual cause instead of a purpose is rejected in careful standard usage. Изостао је због болести explains why he was absent; дошао је ради прегледа states what he came to accomplish.
О: a topic placed in the field of attention
Topic о + locative follows verbs and nouns of speaking, thinking, learning, agreement, and information: говорити о, размишљати о, расправа о, подаци о.
После седнице дуго смо разговарали о предложеним изменама закона.
After the session, we talked for a long time about the proposed amendments to the law.
Немам довољно података о условима конкурса.
I don't have enough information about the competition requirements.
English about is broader. Бринути о детету uses о + locative “take care of / be concerned about a child,” but бринути се за дете uses за + accusative and foregrounds worry or concern for the child's welfare. The verb and construction must be learned together.
Она брине о баки сваког дана, а сада се брине за њено здравље.
She looks after her grandmother every day, and now she is worried about her health.
For a dispute surrounding some issue, око + genitive is common: спор око међе, расправа око трошкова. For neutral topic naming, о + locative is the default.
По: basis, criterion, and ordered relation
The spatial по + locative can distribute activity over an area: ходати по граду. Abstractly, the same idea becomes action distributed along a rule, criterion, sequence, or identified basis.
Поступили смо по упутству техничке службе.
We acted according to the technical department's instructions.
По закону, станодавац мора унапред да обавести станара.
Under the law, the landlord must notify the tenant in advance.
Документа су поређана по датуму, од најстаријег до најновијег.
The documents are arranged by date, from oldest to newest.
По + locative also marks succession in fixed constructions: по завршетку, по доласку, по повратку “upon/after completion, arrival, return.” This is more compact and often more (formal) than everyday после + genitive.
По завршетку разговора добићете записник електронском поштом.
After the conversation ends, you will receive the minutes by email. (formal)
Do not confuse this with ићи по + accusative, where по marks the goal of fetching: отићи по хлеб. The cases distinguish unrelated constructions.
Идем по потпис директора, а затим ћу поступити по његовом упутству.
I'm going to get the director's signature, and then I'll act according to his instructions.
The first по + accusative is a goal; the second по + locative is a basis.
Према: orientation becomes attitude and standard
Concrete према + dative points toward an entity. A moving person and a stationary person can share the same orientation; unlike у/на, the case does not alternate.
Ана је кренула према споредном излазу, а Марко је већ стајао окренут према њему.
Ana headed toward the side exit, while Marko was already standing facing it.
That spatial alignment extends naturally to behavior or attitude directed at someone.
Нови руководилац се према свим запосленима односи с поштовањем.
The new manager treats all employees with respect.
Према also introduces a standard of comparison or an attributed source of information: према плану, према процени, према извештају.
Према првим проценама, поправка ће трајати најмање три дана.
According to the initial estimates, the repair will take at least three days.
Compare по правилу “as a rule / according to the rule” with према правилу “in accordance with or relative to the rule.” They overlap, but по often presents a basis being followed, whereas према presents a standard or source toward which the statement is aligned.
Expanded formal frames
Multiword prepositions make abstract relations explicit and are frequent in (formal) prose:
| Frame | Government | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| у вези са | instrumental | regarding, in connection with |
| у складу са | instrumental | in accordance with |
| на основу | genitive | on the basis of |
| у односу на | accusative | in relation to, compared with |
Одлука је донета на основу нових података и у складу са важећим прописима.
The decision was made on the basis of new data and in accordance with the regulations in force. (formal)
These phrases are internally fixed. In careful standard Serbian, use у вези са овим питањем, not the widespread nonstandard shortcut у вези овог питања.
Practice Tasks
Task 1: Cause or purpose?
Choose због for the actual reason and ради for the intended goal.
Састанак је одложен због квара, а техничар је дошао ради поправке уређаја.
The meeting was postponed because of a malfunction, and the technician came to repair the device. Answer: actual cause versus intended purpose.
Task 2: Source or basis?
Explain why the two English “according to” phrases differ.
Према извештају, рок је продужен; поступићемо по новом распореду.
According to the report, the deadline was extended; we'll proceed according to the new schedule. Answer: према attributes the claim to a source, while по makes the schedule the basis for action.
Common Mistakes
Turning ради into a conjunction
❌ Дошао је ради да провери инсталације пре отварања.
Incorrect — ради is a preposition and cannot directly introduce a да-clause in this frame.
✅ Дошао је да провери инсталације пре отварања.
He came to inspect the wiring before the opening.
Putting the topic after о in accusative
❌ Разговарамо о нову понуду после ручка.
Incorrect — topic о governs locative throughout the phrase.
✅ Разговарамо о новој понуди после ручка.
We're discussing the new offer after lunch.
Treating every по phrase alike
❌ Поступили смо по ново упутство.
Incorrect — the basis meaning of по governs locative, not accusative.
✅ Поступили смо по новом упутству.
We acted according to the new instructions.
Copying English toward with accusative
❌ Окренула се према отворена врата.
Incorrect — према governs dative even with physical orientation.
✅ Окренула се према отвореним вратима.
She turned toward the open door.
Key Takeaways
- Због + genitive names cause; purpose ради + genitive is common especially in formal style.
- Topic о + locative belongs to lexical frames such as говорити о and подаци о.
- По + locative presents a rule, criterion, or sequence as a basis; по + accusative can instead mark a fetching goal.
- Према + dative extends orientation into attitude, standard, and attributed source.
- English about, for, and according to each split into several Serbian constructions.
Now practice Serbian
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Start learning Serbian →Related Topics
- Genitive after PrepositionsA2 — The large family of prepositions that take the genitive.
- Locative: 'About' and Other UsesB1 — The o-locative for topics and the po/pri uses.
- Prepositions Govern CaseA2 — How each preposition demands a specific case (or two).
- Verbs with Fixed PrepositionsB1 — Verb + preposition combinations and their cases.
- Preposition Pitfalls for English SpeakersB1 — The mismatches that cause the most errors.
- Mistake: Wrong Case After PrepositionsA2 — Motion/rest and governed-case errors.