Za doručak jedem jaje i hleb.

bread

Breakdown of Za doručak jedem jaje i hleb.

• i: and
• jesti: to eat
• za: for

Questions & Answers about Za doručak jedem jaje i hleb.

Why is it za doručak?

In Serbian, za + accusative is often used to mean for in the sense of a meal, occasion, or purpose.

So:

• za doručak = for breakfast
• za ručak = for lunch
• za večeru = for dinner

Here, doručak is in the accusative singular, but for this noun the form looks the same as the dictionary form.

So Za doručak jedem jaje i hleb literally feels like For breakfast, I eat egg and bread.

Why isn’t ja included? Shouldn’t it say Ja jedem?

Serbian often drops subject pronouns when they are clear from the verb form.

• jedem already means I eat
• the ending -m shows 1st person singular

So:

• Jedem = I eat
• Ja jedem = I eat with extra emphasis, contrast, or clarity

You would use ja if you want to stress it, for example:

• Ja jedem jaje, a on jede sir.
  I eat an egg, and he eats cheese.

In a normal sentence, leaving out ja is more natural.

What form is jedem?