Lek je u apoteci.

to be

Breakdown of Lek je u apoteci.

• u: at
• apoteka: pharmacy
• lek: medicine

Questions & Answers about Lek je u apoteci.

Why is it u apoteci and not u apoteka?

Because after u when it means in / inside / at a place, Serbian usually uses the locative case.

• Base form: apoteka = pharmacy
• Locative singular: apoteci = in/at the pharmacy

So:

• u apoteci = in the pharmacy / at the pharmacy

For many feminine nouns ending in -a, the locative singular ends in -i.

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What case is apoteci?

Apoteci is in the locative singular.

The noun changes like this:

• Nominative: apoteka
• Locative: u apoteci

In this sentence, the locative is used because the phrase tells you where the medicine is.

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Does u always take the locative case?

No. U can take different cases depending on meaning.

• u + locative = location
  
  • Lek je u apoteci. = The medicine is in/at the pharmacy.
• u + accusative = motion into somewhere
  
  • Idem u apoteku. = I’m going to the pharmacy.

So the key difference is: