Word
Moj otac uvek isključi lampu pre nego što ode u krevet.
Meaning
My father always turns off the lamp before he goes to bed.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about Moj otac uvek isključi lampu pre nego što ode u krevet.
Why is there no word for the in lampu or krevet?
Serbian does not have articles like a or the. So nouns appear without them:
- lampu = lamp / the lamp
- krevet = bed / the bed
Whether something is definite or indefinite is usually understood from context. In this sentence, English naturally uses the lamp and bed, but Serbian does not need separate article words.
Why is it moj otac? Can moj be left out?
Moj means my and is a possessive adjective. It agrees with otac in gender, number, and case:
- moj = masculine singular nominative
- otac = masculine singular nominative
Yes, moj can sometimes be omitted if the context already makes it clear whose father is meant. But moj otac is perfectly normal and clear.
Why is the form otac used here?
Because otac is the subject of the sentence, it is in the nominative case.
The basic pattern is:
- otac = nominative singular, father
- oca = genitive/accusative singular in other uses