Questions & Answers about Imam jak bol u grlu.
What does each word in Imam jak bol u grlu mean?
Word by word:
- Imam = I have
- jak = strong / severe / intense
- bol = pain
- u = in
- grlu = throat in the form used after u
So literally it is I have a strong pain in the throat, and more natural English would usually be I have a severe sore throat or I have severe throat pain.
Why is there no ja for I?
Because the verb form already shows the subject.
- imam = I have
- imaš = you have
- ima = he/she/it has
So Serbian often leaves out the subject pronoun unless it is needed for emphasis or contrast.
- Imam jak bol u grlu. = neutral, normal
- Ja imam jak bol u grlu. = I have severe throat pain, maybe contrasting with someone else
Why is it jak bol and not jaka bol or jako bol?
Because adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.
Here the noun is (), and in this sentence it is: