On voli šećer u kafi, ali ja ne volim šećer.

He likes sugar in coffee, but I do not like sugar.

Breakdown of On voli šećer u kafi, ali ja ne volim šećer.

• kafa: coffee
• ja: I
• on: he
• voleti: to like

Questions & Answers about On voli šećer u kafi, ali ja ne volim šećer.

Why is it voli in On voli, but volim in ja ne volim?

Because the verb changes depending on the subject.

The verb here is voleti / voljeti (to love, to like). In the present tense:

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

So:

• On voli = He likes
• Ja ne volim = I do not like

This is one of the most basic Serbian verb patterns: the ending tells you who the subject is.

Do you always need the pronouns on and ja in Serbian?

No. Serbian often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

So these are both natural:

• On voli šećer u kafi, ali ja ne volim šećer.
• Voli šećer u kafi, ali ne volim šećer.

The full pronouns on and ja are often used for emphasis or contrast. In this sentence, they help highlight the difference:

• He likes sugar in coffee, but I do not like sugar.

So the pronouns are not strictly necessary, but they are very natural here because of the contrast.