Breakdown of Lekar meri moju temperaturu.
Questions & Answers about Lekar meri moju temperaturu.
Why is the verb meri and not merim or meriš?
Because lekar is he/the doctor, so the verb has to be in the 3rd person singular.
The present tense of meriti (to measure) goes like this:
- ja merim = I measure / am measuring
- ti meriš = you measure / are measuring
- on/ona meri = he/she measures / is measuring
So:
- Lekar meri... = The doctor is measuring...
What does each word mean grammatically in this sentence?
Here is the breakdown:
- Lekar = doctor, the subject of the sentence
- meri = measures / is measuring, the verb
- moju = my, agreeing with temperaturu
- temperaturu = temperature, the direct object
So the structure is:
- Lekar → who is doing the action
- meri → the action
- moju temperaturu → what is being measured
Why is it moju, not moja?
Because moj (my) has to agree with the noun it describes in:
- gender
- number
- case
The noun temperatura is:
- feminine
- singular
- here in the accusative case (because it is the direct object)
So moj changes to moju.
A few forms of moj:
- moj = masculine singular
- moja = feminine singular nominative
- moju = feminine singular accusative
- moje = neuter singular
That is why you say moju temperaturu.
Why is it temperaturu, not temperatura?
Because it is the direct object of the verb meri.
The noun temperatura is a feminine noun that normally ends in -a in the dictionary form (the nominative):
- temperatura = temperature
But in the accusative singular, many feminine nouns ending in -a change to -u:
- temperatura → temperaturu
- knjiga → knjigu
- soba → sobu
So:
- Lekar meri temperaturu. = The doctor is measuring the temperature.
Why is lekar unchanged? Shouldn’t it also change case?
In this sentence, lekar is the subject, so it stays in the nominative case.
- Lekar = nominative singular
Only moju temperaturu changes because it is the object.
So the sentence shows a very common pattern:
- subject in nominative
- object in accusative
Can I say doktor instead of lekar?
Yes. Both lekar and doktor can mean doctor.
A useful distinction:
- lekar = the standard Serbian word for a medical doctor
- doktor = also very common in everyday speech, but can also mean someone with a doctorate
So in a medical context, both are possible:
- Lekar meri moju temperaturu.
- Doktor meri moju temperaturu.
Both are natural.
Why is there no word for the or a?
Because Serbian does not have articles like English a/an/the.
So:
- lekar can mean a doctor or the doctor
- temperaturu can mean a temperature or the temperature, depending on context
Serbian usually lets context show whether something is definite or indefinite.
Can I leave out moju and just say Lekar meri temperaturu?
Yes, very often.
- Lekar meri temperaturu. = The doctor is measuring (my/the) temperature.
In Serbian, possessive words like my, his, her are often omitted when the meaning is obvious from context, especially with things closely connected to a person, such as:
- body parts
- health
- clothing
- personal items
So if it is already clear whose temperature is being measured, moju may sound unnecessary.
Using moju adds emphasis or clarity.
Can the word order change?
Yes. Serbian word order is more flexible than English because the case endings show the grammatical roles.
The neutral, most straightforward order is:
- Lekar meri moju temperaturu.
But you could also say:
- Moju temperaturu meri lekar.
This puts more emphasis on my temperature.
Even though the order changes, the endings still show that:
- lekar is the subject
- moju temperaturu is the object
So word order in Serbian often changes for emphasis, focus, or style, not just grammar.
Does meri mean measures or is measuring?
It can mean both, depending on context.
In Serbian, the present tense of an imperfective verb like meriti can express:
- a general action: measures
- an action happening now: is measuring
- a repeated/habitual action: measures regularly
So:
- Lekar meri moju temperaturu.
can mean either:
- The doctor measures my temperature or
- The doctor is measuring my temperature
Context tells you which meaning is intended.
How is this sentence pronounced?
A simple English-friendly approximation is:
LE-kar ME-ri MO-yu tem-pe-ra-TU-ru
A few helpful notes:
- j is pronounced like English y
- moju sounds roughly like MO-yu
- r is usually trilled or tapped
- stress can vary by dialect and accent, but the approximation above is good enough for a learner
So the whole sentence sounds roughly like:
LE-kar ME-ri MO-yu tem-pe-ra-TU-ru
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