Ona voli kafu.

Breakdown of Ona voli kafu.

kafa
coffee
ona
she
voleti
to like

Questions & Answers about Ona voli kafu.

Can I leave out ona?

Yes. Serbian often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person.

So Voli kafu. is also a natural sentence and still means She likes/loves coffee, if the context makes it clear who she is.

You keep ona when you want to:

  • make the subject explicit
  • add emphasis
  • create contrast, as in Ona voli kafu, a on voli čaj.
Why is the verb voli?

Voli is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb voleti.

A short present-tense pattern is:

  • ja volim = I like/love
  • ti voliš = you like/love
  • on/ona/ono voli = he/she/it likes/loves
  • mi volimo = we like/love
  • vi volite = you like/love
  • oni/one/ona vole = they like/love

So with ona, you need voli.

Why is it kafu and not kafa?

Because kafu is the accusative singular form, and Serbian uses the accusative for a direct object.

  • kafa = nominative, the basic dictionary form
  • kafu = accusative, used here because coffee is what she likes

For many feminine nouns ending in -a, the accusative singular changes -a to -u:

  • knjigaknjigu
  • vodavodu
  • kafakafu
Does Serbian have words like a and the?

Not as normal articles, no. Serbian does not use articles the way English does.

So Ona voli kafu can mean something like:

  • she likes coffee
  • she likes the coffee

The exact meaning depends on context.

If Serbian speakers want to be more specific, they can use other words, for example:

  • tu kafu = that coffee
  • jednu kafu = one / a coffee
Can the word order change?

Yes. Serbian word order is fairly flexible.

The most neutral order here is:

Ona voli kafu.

But you may also hear:

  • Voli kafu.
  • Kafu voli.
  • Ona kafu voli.

These versions do not completely change the basic meaning, but they can change the focus or emphasis. English relies more on fixed word order; Serbian relies more on endings and context.

How do I pronounce Ona voli kafu?

A rough English-friendly pronunciation is:

OH-nah VOH-lee KAH-foo

A few useful points:

  • Serbian spelling is very regular: words are usually pronounced the way they are written.
  • o is a clear o
  • a is like a in father
  • u is like oo in food

So once you learn the sound of each letter, reading Serbian becomes much easier than reading English.

What is the dictionary form of voli?

The dictionary form is voleti, which means to like / to love depending on context.

In vocabulary lists, verbs are usually given in that infinitive form:

  • voleti = to like / to love

Then in real sentences, the verb changes form:

  • voletivoli
Is voleti more like love or more like like?

It can be either, depending on context.

With people, voleti often feels closer to love:

  • Volim te. = I love you.

With things, food, activities, and general preferences, it is often translated more naturally as like:

  • Ona voli kafu. = She likes coffee.

So the exact strength is not always identical to English love.

Is this sentence describing something happening right now?

Usually no. In this sentence, the present tense normally expresses a general preference or a state.

So Ona voli kafu usually means:

  • she likes coffee in general
  • coffee is something she enjoys

It does not usually mean she is drinking coffee right now. For that, Serbian would use a different verb, for example:

  • Ona pije kafu. = She is drinking coffee.
How would I make this negative or turn it into a question?

To make it negative, add ne before the verb:

Ona ne voli kafu. = She does not like coffee.

To ask a yes/no question, common options are:

  • Da li ona voli kafu?
  • Voli li ona kafu?

In informal speech, people may also rely on intonation:

  • Ona voli kafu?
How is this written in Cyrillic?

In Serbian Cyrillic, it is:

Она воли кафу.

Serbian normally uses both scripts:

  • Latin: Ona voli kafu.
  • Cyrillic: Она воли кафу.

Learners should get used to both, because both are very common.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
What's the best way to learn Serbian grammar?
Serbian grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Serbian

Master Serbian — from Ona voli kafu to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • AI tutor to answer your grammar questions