Breakdown of Prodavac će sniziti cenu po dogovoru.
Questions & Answers about Prodavac će sniziti cenu po dogovoru.
Why is it će sniziti? How does this future tense work?
This is the future tense in Serbian, often called Future I.
Here:
- će = the auxiliary particle used for the future
- sniziti = to lower / reduce
So će sniziti literally means will lower.
With a full noun subject, Serbian commonly uses:
- Prodavac će sniziti cenu. = The seller will lower the price.
A useful thing to know:
- Serbian future can also appear in a more “joined” form in some contexts:
- Sniziće cenu. = He/she will lower the price.
- But in your sentence, the separated form će sniziti is completely normal.
Why is it cenu and not cena?
Because cenu is the accusative singular form of cena.
- cena = price in the nominative form
- cenu = price as a direct object
In this sentence, the seller is doing something to the price, so price is the direct object:
- Prodavac će sniziti cenu.
- literally: The seller will lower the price.
This is a very common pattern in Serbian:
- Imam knjigu. = I have a book.
- Vidim kuću. = I see a house.
- Sniziti cenu = to lower the price
Since cena is a feminine noun ending in -a, its accusative singular becomes -u:
- cena → cenu
What case is po dogovoru, and why does it have that ending?
Po dogovoru uses the preposition po, which here requires the locative case.
So:
- dogovor = agreement, arrangement
- po dogovoru = by agreement, as agreed, depending on the agreement
The noun changes like this:
- dogovor → dogovoru (locative singular)
This is why you see -u at the end.
So grammatically:
- po
- locative
- po dogovoru = a fixed and very common expression
What exactly does po dogovoru mean here?
In this sentence, po dogovoru means something like:
- by agreement
- as agreed
- depending on the agreement
- negotiable, depending on context
In practical usage, it often suggests that the price reduction is not fixed in advance, but can be arranged through discussion.
So Prodavac će sniziti cenu po dogovoru implies:
- the seller is willing to lower the price
- the exact reduction depends on what is agreed
This phrase is very common in ads, negotiations, and business-like situations.
Is sniziti perfective or imperfective, and why is that important?
Sniziti is perfective.
That matters because perfective verbs usually describe:
- a completed action
- a single result
- an action seen as a whole
So sniziti cenu means to lower the price as a completed act.
In this sentence, that makes sense:
- Prodavac će sniziti cenu = The seller will lower the price
- It suggests a specific future action/result.
The imperfective counterpart is often:
- snižavati = to be lowering / to lower repeatedly / to lower in general
Compare:
- Prodavac će sniziti cenu. = one completed lowering
- Prodavac će snižavati cenu. = the seller will be lowering the price / will lower it repeatedly or gradually
So the perfective verb is the natural choice here.
Could the sentence use a different word order?
Yes, Serbian word order is fairly flexible, but not completely random.
The neutral order here is:
- Prodavac će sniziti cenu po dogovoru.
You could also move parts around for emphasis, for example:
- Po dogovoru će prodavac sniziti cenu.
- Cenu će prodavac sniziti po dogovoru.
But there is an important rule: će is a clitic, and clitics usually tend to appear in the second position of the sentence or clause.
That is why:
- Prodavac će sniziti cenu sounds natural
- Će prodavac sniziti cenu is not the normal neutral order
So yes, word order can change, but će still follows clitic-placement rules.
Why is there no word for the in the seller or the price?
Because Serbian does not have articles like English a/an/the.
So:
- prodavac can mean a seller or the seller
- cena / cenu can mean a price / the price
The exact meaning depends on context.
In your sentence:
- Prodavac će sniziti cenu po dogovoru could be understood as:
- The seller will lower the price by agreement or
- A seller will lower the price by agreement
In real usage, context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended.
Why is it prodavac? Does that specifically mean a male seller?
Prodavac is the standard masculine noun for seller / salesman / shop assistant.
Traditionally:
- prodavac = male seller
- prodavačica = female seller
However, masculine forms are also often used in a more general or dictionary-style way, especially when talking about a role.
So depending on context:
- prodavac may refer to a man specifically
- or may simply identify the role seller
If you know the seller is a woman, Serbian would usually say:
- Prodavačica će sniziti cenu po dogovoru.
Could I translate po dogovoru as according to agreement?
You can, but it usually sounds less natural in English.
More natural translations are:
- by agreement
- as agreed
- by prior arrangement
- negotiable
- depending on the agreement
Which one fits best depends on the situation.
For example:
- in a business or formal context: by agreement / as agreed
- in an ad or listing: negotiable
So although according to agreement is understandable, it is usually not the most idiomatic choice in English.
Can po dogovoru be used in other sentences too?
Yes. It is a very useful everyday phrase.
Examples:
- Sastanak je po dogovoru. = The meeting is by arrangement.
- Plaćanje je po dogovoru. = Payment is by agreement.
- Radno vreme je po dogovoru. = Working hours are by arrangement.
- Cena je po dogovoru. = The price is negotiable / by agreement.
So once you learn po dogovoru, you will see it in many practical situations, especially in ads, work arrangements, services, and negotiations.
Is this sentence something people would actually say, or is it more like ad language?
It sounds very natural, but it has a slightly practical / transactional feel.
You are especially likely to see or hear it in:
- classified ads
- sales negotiations
- business communication
- marketplace conversations
For example, in an ad you might more often see:
- Cena po dogovoru. = Price negotiable.
Your full sentence,
- Prodavac će sniziti cenu po dogovoru, sounds like something someone might say when explaining that the seller is willing to negotiate.
So yes, it is natural Serbian, especially in a buying/selling context.
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