Pišem broj na papiru.

to write

Breakdown of Pišem broj na papiru.

• na: on
• papir: paper
• broj: number

Questions & Answers about Pišem broj na papiru.

Why is pišem enough to mean I am writing? Where is ja?

In Serbian, the verb ending often already shows the subject.

• pišem = I write / I am writing
• The ending -em tells you it is 1st person singular: I

So ja is usually omitted unless you want to emphasize it:

• Pišem broj na papiru. = I’m writing a number on paper.
• Ja pišem broj na papiru. = I’m the one writing a number on paper / extra emphasis on I

This is very common in Serbian.

What tense is pišem?

Pišem is present tense.

From context, the Serbian present tense can correspond to either:

• I write
• I am writing

In this sentence, the natural English meaning is usually I am writing a number on paper, but grammatically Serbian simply uses the present tense pišem.

What is the base form of pišem?

The dictionary form is pisati, meaning to write.

So:

• pisati = to write
• pišem = I write / I am writing

This verb is , so it focuses on the action as ongoing, repeated, or not viewed as completed.