Zbog kašnjenja očekujem povraćaj novca.

because of

Breakdown of Zbog kašnjenja očekujem povraćaj novca.

• kašnjenje: a delay
• povraćaj novca: a refund
• očekivati: to expect

Questions & Answers about Zbog kašnjenja očekujem povraćaj novca.

What does zbog mean, and which case does it require?

Zbog means because of, due to, or on account of.

It requires the genitive case, so the noun after it must be in genitive:

• kašnjenje = delay
• zbog kašnjenja = because of the delay / due to delay

This is a very common pattern in Serbian:

• zbog kiše = because of the rain
• zbog problema = because of the problem
• zbog gužve = because of the traffic jam / crowding

Why is it kašnjenja and not kašnjenje?

Because zbog takes the genitive case.

The basic form is:

• kašnjenje = delay, being late

Its genitive singular form is:

• kašnjenja

So:

• zbog kašnjenja = because of the delay

This is one of the first things English speakers notice in Serbian: prepositions often force a noun into a certain case.

What exactly does kašnjenje mean here?

Kašnjenje comes from the verb kasniti, meaning to be late or to run late.

As a noun, kašnjenje means: