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Questions & Answers about Samo se šalim.
What does se do in Samo se šalim?
Se is a reflexive clitic, a very common little word in Serbian. In šaliti se, it is part of the verb itself, so you learn the expression as a whole: šaliti se = to joke / to be kidding.
So:
- šalim se = I’m joking / I’m kidding
- samo se šalim = I’m just kidding
You usually should not think of se here as meaning myself. It is just part of how this verb is used.
What form is šalim?
Šalim is the 1st person singular present tense form of šaliti se.
So the pattern is:
- ja se šalim = I am joking
- ti se šališ = you are joking
- on/ona se šali = he/she is joking
- mi se šalimo = we are joking
- vi se šalite = you are joking
- oni se šale = they are joking
In Samo se šalim, the subject ja is omitted because Serbian often leaves pronouns out when the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
Why isn’t ja included?