Questions & Answers about Sin liči na majku.
Why is it sin and not the son or a son?
Serbian does not have articles like the and a/an.
So sin can mean son, the son, or even a son, depending on context. In this sentence, you understand it from the situation, not from a separate word.
What does liči mean here, exactly?
Liči is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb ličiti.
In this sentence, ličiti na + accusative means to resemble or to look like someone/something.
So:
- ličim = I resemble / I look like
- ličiš = you resemble
- liči = he/she/it resembles
That is why sin liči na majku means the son resembles the mother / looks like his mother.
Why is there a na in the sentence?
Because the verb ličiti normally goes with na when you say who or what someone resembles.
The pattern is:
ličiti na + accusative
Examples:
- Ličim na oca. = I look like my father.
- Ona liči na sestru. = She looks like her sister.
So na is required here; you would not normally say just Sin liči majku.
Why is it majku and not majka?