Questions & Answers about Konfete su na stolnjaku.
Why is it su and not je?
Because konfete is treated as plural in Serbian, so the verb must also be plural.
- su = are
- je = is
So Serbian says Konfete su..., even though English usually says confetti is....
Is konfete singular or plural?
In normal Serbian usage, konfete is usually treated as a plural noun. That is why it takes su.
This is one of those places where Serbian and English organize the idea differently:
- English: confetti is
- Serbian: konfete su
Why does stolnjak become stolnjaku?
Because after na, Serbian uses different cases depending on the meaning.
Here the meaning is location: the confetti is already lying there.
So na takes the locative:
- stolnjak = dictionary form
- na stolnjaku = on the tablecloth
Compare:
- Konfete su na stolnjaku. = The confetti is on the tablecloth.
- Stavljam konfete na stolnjak. = I am putting confetti onto the tablecloth.
In the second sentence, there is movement onto the surface, so na takes a different case.
What is the dictionary form of ?