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Learn Hardcore Serbian: Ostavite prijavu u kancelariji. - Leave the application in the office.

Hardcore Serbian
/Applying for a job
/Ostavite prijavu u kancelariji.

Ostavite prijavu u kancelariji.

Word

Ostavite prijavu u kancelariji.

Meaning

Leave the application in the office.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Serbian

Lesson

Applying for a job

Breakdown of Ostavite prijavu u kancelariji.

the application

to leave something

Questions & Answers about Ostavite prijavu u kancelariji.

What exactly is ostavite?

Ostavite is the imperative form of the verb ostaviti, meaning leave.

More specifically, it is:

2nd person plural imperative
used for you all
or for one person formally/politely (Vi)

So it can mean:

Leave ... when speaking to several people
Please leave ... when speaking politely to one person

Why does ostavite end in -te?

The ending -te marks the plural/formal imperative.

Compare:

ostavi = leave! (said to one person informally)
ostavite = leave! (said to several people, or to one person politely)

This is a very common pattern in Serbian imperatives.

Where is the word you in the sentence?

It is not stated explicitly, because Serbian usually does not need subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows who is being addressed.

Here, ostavite already tells you that the subject is:

you all, or
you in a formal sense

So Serbian often leaves out vi unless it is needed for emphasis.

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Why is it prijavu and not prijava?

Because prijavu is in the accusative singular.

The base form is:

prijava = application / registration / report

In this sentence, it is the direct object of ostavite, so Serbian uses the accusative case.

For many feminine nouns ending in -a, the accusative singular changes:

-a → -u

So:

prijava → prijavu

What case is u kancelariji, and why?

Kancelariji is in the locative singular.

The noun is:

kancelarija = office

After the preposition u, Serbian often uses:

locative for location: in / at
accusative for movement toward something: into

Here the meaning is in the office / at the office, so Serbian uses the locative:

u kancelariji

What is the difference between u kancelariji and u kancelariju?

This is a very important Serbian pattern:

u + locative = in / at a place
u + accusative = into / to a place

So:

u kancelariji = in the office
u kancelariju = into the office

In your sentence, the focus is on where the application should be left, so u kancelariji is used.

Why is it ostavite, not ostavljajte?

This is about aspect, which is very important in Serbian verbs.

ostaviti = perfective
ostavljati = imperfective

So:

ostavite usually means leave it / do this action once, as a completed action
ostavljajte would suggest repeated, habitual, or sometimes more ongoing action

In an instruction like this, Serbian usually prefers the perfective imperative:

Ostavite prijavu u kancelariji.

That sounds natural for a single completed action.

Does the sentence sound rude because it is an imperative?

No. In Serbian, the imperative is often perfectly normal in:

instructions
notices
office directions
public signs

So Ostavite prijavu u kancelariji. can sound like a standard instruction, not necessarily rude.

If someone wanted to sound softer in conversation, they might say:

Molim vas, ostavite prijavu u kancelariji.

That adds please and makes the tone more polite.

Can the word order change?

Yes. Serbian word order is fairly flexible.

The neutral version is:

Ostavite prijavu u kancelariji.

But you could also say:

Prijavu ostavite u kancelariji.
U kancelariji ostavite prijavu.

These versions change the emphasis, not the basic meaning.

For example:

Prijavu ostavite u kancelariji. emphasizes the application
U kancelariji ostavite prijavu. emphasizes the office

Why is there no word for the or an?

Because Serbian does not have articles like English the and a/an.

So prijavu can mean:

the application
an application

Which one is meant depends on the context.

That is completely normal in Serbian. The language leaves this kind of information to context instead of using articles.

What is the dictionary form of each main word in the sentence?

The dictionary forms are:

ostaviti = to leave
prijava = application / registration / report
kancelarija = office

In the sentence, they appear as:

ostavite = imperative form of ostaviti
prijavu = accusative singular of prijava
kancelariji = locative singular of kancelarija

This is a useful way to study Serbian sentences: identify the dictionary form first, then the case or verb form used in context.

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