misliti (to think) | Serbian Grammar

Мислити is the everyday Serbian verb for holding an opinion, directing thought toward a topic, keeping someone in mind, or meaning something by an expression. Its complement determines the reading: мислити да, мислити о + locative, мислити на + accusative, and fixed мислити под + instrumental are not interchangeable translations of English think. Its prefixed relatives also change the kind of mental event rather than supplying one mechanical perfective partner.

Principal forms

Form	мислити
present	мислим, мислиш, мисли, мислимо, мислите, мисле
l-participle	мислио, мислила, мислило; мислили, мислиле, мислила
imperative	мисли, мислимо, мислите
future, 1st singular	мислићу
conditional	мислио бих / мислила бих

This is a regular i-class paradigm. The third-person plural is мисле, and masculine l-participle is мислио. Core мислити is imperfective and can describe a state, repeated thought, or thinking in progress.

Мислим да смо оставили довољно времена за питања.

I think we've left enough time for questions.

Целог јутра сам мислила о разговору од претходне вечери.

All morning I was thinking about the conversation from the previous evening. (female speaker)

Мислити да: state an opinion or belief

Use мислити да + finite clause for the content of an opinion. The subordinate verb carries its own person and tense.

Не мислим да ће продавница бити отворена после осам.

I don't think the shop will be open after eight.

Шта мислиш, да ли би требало да позовемо још једног мајстора?

What do you think—should we call another repairman?

In a grammatically integrated content clause, да cannot simply be omitted before a finite verb. Conversational Мислим, биће касно is possible, but the comma signals two discourse units: “I think; it will be late.” It is not the neutral complement structure Мислим да ће бити касно.

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Use мислити да + finite clause for a proposition. Do not place о before да, and do not copy English zero-that by dropping Serbian да inside an integrated clause.

The broader opinion-verb reference compares мислити with сматрати and formal држати. This page keeps the focus on мислити itself.

Мислити о + locative: treat something as a topic

О + locative marks the subject matter of reflection, discussion, or evaluation.

Шта мислите о предлогу да радно време почне пола сата раније?

What do you think about the proposal for working hours to begin half an hour earlier? (plural or polite)

Размишљали смо о селидби, али још нисмо донели одлуку.

We have been thinking about moving, but we haven't made a decision yet.

The second example uses размишљати, which foregrounds active deliberation. Мислити о селидби can name the same topic more neutrally. After о, pronouns are full locative forms: о мени, о теби, о њему, о њој, о нама, о њима.

Не знам шта она мисли о мени, али ја о њој имам одлично мишљење.

I don't know what she thinks of me, but I have an excellent opinion of her.

Мислити на + accusative: keep in mind, think of

На + accusative directs attention toward a person, thing, possibility, or intended referent. It often means “think of,” “have in mind,” or “remember to consider.”

Кад кажем да нам треба већи простор, мислим на салу поред библиотеке.

When I say we need a larger space, I mean the hall next to the library.

Мисли на мене кад будеш пролазила кроз наш стари крај.

Think of me when you pass through our old neighborhood. (female addressee)

After на, personal pronouns use full accusative forms: на мене, на тебе, на њега, на њу, на нас, на њих. A weak object clitic cannot follow the preposition.

The difference from о is often topic versus mental target:

Размишљам о Марку као о кандидату, али управо сада мислим на њега јер му је данас рођендан.

I'm considering Marko as a candidate, but right now I'm thinking of him because today is his birthday.

Мислити под + instrumental: what do you mean by...?

Fixed мислити под нечим asks what concept or referent someone intends by a word, phrase, or statement.

Шта тачно мислиш под изразом „флексибилан распоред“?

What exactly do you mean by the expression ‘flexible schedule’?

Под тим не мислим на нижу плату, већ на другачију расподелу сати.

By that I don't mean lower pay, but a different distribution of hours.

Под тим is instrumental after под in this lexical frame. Do not generalize it to all uses of think about.

Clitics and complement boundaries

Prepositional complements require full pronouns, but clitics inside a да-clause occupy that clause’s second position.

Мислим да му се нови предлог неће свидети.

I think he won't like the new proposal.

Here му се belongs after subordinate да. It is not an object cluster selected by мислити.

Ordinary мислити is not reflexive. Forms such as мислим се should not replace размишљам in neutral standard Serbian. Related предомислити се is a separate lexical verb meaning “change one’s mind.”

Предомислила сам се и ипак ћу прихватити понуду.

I changed my mind and will accept the offer after all. (female speaker)

No single perfective “finish thinking”

Different prefixed verbs select different mental events:

Verb	Core meaning	Typical frame
помислити	a thought occurs; think momentarily	помислити да / на
размислити	think over, deliberate before deciding	размислити о
промислити	think through carefully	промислити корак / последице
смислити	devise, come up with	смислити решење

На тренутак сам помислио да сам послао погрешан документ.

For a moment I thought I had sent the wrong document. (male speaker)

Размисли о свим трошковима пре него што потпишеш уговор.

Think over all the costs before you sign the contract.

Морамо добро промислити последице пре увођења новог правила.

We must think the consequences through carefully before introducing the new rule. (formal)

Смислила је једноставан начин да деца сама провере одговоре.

She devised a simple way for the children to check the answers themselves.

Промислити is relatively (formal); everyday speech often uses добро размислити о. These verbs are a lexical network, not interchangeable perfectives of one English think.

Fixed conversational uses

Шта мислиш? requests an opinion, while parenthetical мислим can repair or clarify speech.

Састанак је у четвртак — мислим, у петак ујутру.

The meeting is on Thursday—I mean, on Friday morning.

Мислити својом главом means think independently and carries a positive or admonishing tone.

Саслушај савете, али на крају мисли својом главом.

Listen to the advice, but in the end think for yourself.

The instrumental својом главом expresses means or manner, not the fixed под + instrumental frame.

Micro-dialogue

„О чему размишљаш?“ — „О промени посла.“ — „А кад си рекао да мислиш на Јелену?“ — „Мислио сам на њу као на особу која би могла да ме препоручи.“

‘What are you thinking about?’ — ‘Changing jobs.’ — ‘And when you said you were thinking of Jelena?’ — ‘I had her in mind as someone who might recommend me.’

The dialogue contrasts a topic with о and a person held in mind with на.

Practice Tasks

Task 1: Choose the complement

Translate four sentences: I think that she is right; I am thinking about the budget; I am thinking of you; What do you mean by that? Use да, о + locative, на + accusative, and под + instrumental.

Task 2: Choose the lexical event

Use помислити, размислити, промислити, and смислити in a sequence: a thought occurs, you deliberate, you think through the consequences, and you devise a solution.

Common Mistakes

❌ Мислим о да ће бити гужва.

Incorrect — a finite opinion clause follows мислити да, without о.

✅ Мислим да ће бити велика гужва.

I think it will be very crowded.

❌ Често мислим на њој кад чујем ту песму.

Incorrect — на in this frame governs accusative њу, not locative њој.

✅ Често мислим на њу кад чујем ту песму.

I often think of her when I hear that song.

❌ Шта мислиш под то?

Incorrect — fixed мислити под governs instrumental тим.

✅ Шта мислиш под тим?

What do you mean by that?

❌ Мислим он касни јер је пропустио аутобус.

Incorrect as one integrated sentence — Serbian requires да before the finite content clause.

✅ Мислим да он касни јер је пропустио аутобус.

I think he is late because he missed the bus.

❌ Смислио сам о понуди цело вече.

Incorrect lexical choice and frame — смислити means devise; deliberating is размишљати о.

✅ Размишљао сам о понуди цело вече.

I thought about the offer all evening. (male speaker)

Key Takeaways

Мислити да introduces an opinion; о + locative a topic; на + accusative a mental target.
Fixed мислити под + instrumental asks what someone means by an expression.
Prepositions require full pronouns; clitics inside a да-clause belong to that subordinate clause.
Помислити, размислити, промислити, and смислити name different mental events, not one neutral perfective.
Use the separate opinion-verb page for the comparison with сматрати and formal држати.

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