Preneli smo kutije bez obzira na sprat.

Preneli is the past participle form of the verb preneti, which means to carry over, transfer, move, bring across, depending on context.

In this sentence, it refers to a completed action in the past.

A useful comparison:

• preneti = perfective, completed action
• prenositi = imperfective, ongoing/repeated action

So Preneli smo means we carried/moved/transported and implies the action was finished.

Because smo is a clitic in Serbian. Clitics usually go in the second position of the sentence or clause.

So:

• Preneli smo kutije... = normal
• Mi smo preneli kutije... = also normal, with mi as the first element and smo still in second position

What sounds less natural in standard Serbian is starting directly with Smo preneli... unless there is something before it.

So the rule is not really “verb + smo,” but rather: the clitic goes after the first sentence element.

Because Serbian often drops subject pronouns when they are already clear from the verb form.

In smo, you can already tell the subject is we.

So:

• Preneli smo kutije = We carried the boxes
• Mi smo preneli kutije = also We carried the boxes, but mi adds emphasis, like we did it

Serbian does this very often, much more than English.

In the Serbian past tense, the participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.

For we:

• preneli smo = used for a masculine or mixed-gender group
• prenele smo = used for an all-female group

So this sentence suggests that the speakers are either:

• all male, or
• a mixed group, or
• using the masculine/mixed form as the default from context

This is a very common feature of Serbian past tense.

Here kutije is the direct object, so it is in the accusative plural.

The noun is:

• singular: kutija = box
• plural: kutije = boxes

For this type of feminine noun, the nominative plural and accusative plural often look the same:

• Kutije su teške. = The boxes are heavy.
  
  • nominative plural
• Preneli smo kutije. = We carried the boxes.
  
  • accusative plural

So the form is the same, but the function is different.

Bez obzira na is a very common fixed expression meaning:

• regardless of
• irrespective of
• no matter
• without regard to

Literally, it is built from:

• bez = without
• obzira = regard/consideration (in the genitive, because of bez)
• na = toward/regarding, introducing what is being disregarded

So you should learn bez obzira na as a single expression.

Examples:

• bez obzira na cenu = regardless of the price
• bez obzira na vreme = regardless of the weather/time
• bez obzira na sprat = regardless of the floor

No — not in this sentence.

That is a very good question, because na sprat can mean upstairs / to the upper floor in other contexts.

Compare:

• Preneli smo kutije na sprat.
  = We carried the boxes upstairs.

But in your sentence:

• Preneli smo kutije bez obzira na sprat.

the words na sprat are part of the expression bez obzira na + accusative. Here sprat is the thing being referred to as irrelevant.

So this does not mean movement to a floor. It means the floor level did not matter.

Here sprat is in the accusative singular because bez obzira na is followed by the accusative.

The noun is:

• sprat = floor, storey

For masculine inanimate nouns like sprat, the accusative singular is usually the same as the nominative singular:

• nominative: sprat
• accusative: sprat

So even though the form does not change, the case is still accusative because of the construction bez obzira na.

Preneti is perfective, so Preneli smo presents the action as completed.

That means the sentence focuses on the fact that the boxes were successfully moved/carried.

If you used the imperfective verb prenositi, you could say:

• Prenosili smo kutije bez obzira na sprat.

That would suggest something more like:

• we were carrying the boxes
• we used to carry the boxes
• we carried them repeatedly

So the difference is:

• Preneli smo = completed result
• Prenosili smo = process, repetition, or ongoing action

Because Serbian has no articles like a/an/the.

Whether something is understood as a box, the boxes, a floor, or the floor depends on context.

So:

• kutije can mean boxes or the boxes
• sprat can mean a floor or the floor

English requires an article, but Serbian does not. Learners often want to insert one mentally, but in Serbian the meaning is usually clear from the situation.

Yes, Serbian word order is fairly flexible, but not completely free.

Possible versions include:

• Preneli smo kutije bez obzira na sprat.
• Kutije smo preneli bez obzira na sprat.
• Mi smo preneli kutije bez obzira na sprat.

The differences are mostly about emphasis:

• Preneli smo... = neutral
• Kutije smo preneli... = emphasizes the boxes
• Mi smo preneli... = emphasizes we

But the clitic smo still has to stay in its normal second-position slot. That is one of the main restrictions on Serbian word order.