Questions & Answers about Meni se sviđa ova knjiga.
Why is it meni and not ja?
Because meni is the dative form of ja (I).
With sviđati se, Serbian does not literally say I like this book. The structure is closer to:
- This book is pleasing to me
So the person who experiences the liking goes in the dative:
- ja = I
- meni / mi = to me
That is why you get:
- Meni se sviđa ova knjiga.
What does se mean here?
Se is a short reflexive particle that is part of the verb sviđati se.
You should learn this verb as a whole:
- sviđati se = to be pleasing, to appeal, to like
So in this sentence, se does not mean himself/herself in the usual English sense. It is just part of how this verb works.
Examples:
- Sviđa mi se film. = I like the film.
- Ne sviđa mi se. = I do not like it.
Why is it sviđa and not some form meaning like for I?
Because the verb agrees with the thing being liked, not with the person who likes it.
In Meni se sviđa ova knjiga, the subject is (), which is . Therefore the verb is singular: