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Learn Hardcore Serbian: Koncert počinje večeras. - The concert starts tonight.

Hardcore Serbian
/Making weekend plans with friends
/Koncert počinje večeras.

Koncert počinje večeras.

Koncert počinje večeras.

The concert starts tonight.

Breakdown of Koncert počinje večeras.

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Questions & Answers about Koncert počinje večeras.

What does each word in Koncert počinje večeras do in the sentence?

Koncert = the concert / a concert and it is the subject
počinje = starts / is starting / begins
večeras = tonight / this evening

So the structure is basically:

subject + verb + time expression

Serbian often looks very compact compared with English because it does not need articles like the or a.

Why is there no word for the in Koncert?

Serbian has no articles, so there is no direct equivalent of English the or a/an.

That means koncert can mean:

a concert
the concert

The exact meaning depends on context. In a sentence like Koncert počinje večeras, English often translates it as The concert starts tonight, because the situation usually makes it clear which concert is meant.

Why is počinje in the present tense if the event happens tonight?

In Serbian, the present tense is very commonly used for scheduled future events, especially when the time is clearly stated.

So:

Koncert počinje večeras. = The concert starts tonight.

This is very similar to English:

The concert starts tonight.

Even though the form is present, the meaning is future because večeras makes the time clear.

What is the dictionary form of počinje?

The form počinje comes from the verb počinjati, which means to begin / to start in an imperfective sense.

Here is the pattern:

ja počinjem = I start / am starting
ti počinješ = you start
on/ona/ono počinje = he/she/it starts

In this sentence, koncert is singular, so the verb is in 3rd person singular:

Koncert počinje.

Why is it počinje and not something like počinju?

Because koncert is singular.

In Serbian, the verb must agree with the subject:

koncert = singular
therefore počinje = singular verb form

If the subject were plural, you would use počinju:

Koncerti počinju večeras. = The concerts start tonight.

What kind of word is večeras? Is it a noun in a case form?

Večeras is best learned here as an adverb of time, meaning tonight / this evening.

In this sentence, you do not need to think of it as a noun with a case ending. It functions as a time word, just like:

danas = today
sutra = tomorrow
jutros = this morning
večeras = tonight

So in practice, treat večeras as a fixed time expression.

What is the difference between večeras and uveče?

This is a very common learner question.

večeras = tonight / this evening
It usually refers to this specific evening
uveče = in the evening / in the evenings
It is more general

Compare:

Koncert počinje večeras. = The concert starts tonight.
Koncerti obično počinju uveče. = Concerts usually start in the evening.

So for a specific event happening tonight, večeras is the natural choice.

Can I change the word order?

Yes. Serbian word order is more flexible than English word order.

The neutral version is:

Koncert počinje večeras.

But you may also hear:

Večeras koncert počinje.
Večeras počinje koncert.

These alternatives can shift the focus or emphasis:

starting with večeras emphasizes when
starting with koncert is more neutral if the topic is the concert

Even though word order can change, the basic meaning stays the same.

How do I pronounce počinje?

A rough pronunciation guide is:

po = like po in Poland, but shorter
č = like ch in chocolate
i
nj = like the ny sound in canyon
e

So počinje sounds roughly like:

PO-chi-nye

Two important Serbian letters here:

č = ch
nj = ny

And koncert is roughly: KON-tsert

Why is koncert in that form? What case is it?

Here koncert is in the nominative singular, because it is the subject of the sentence.

Serbian nouns change form depending on their role, but the subject is normally in the nominative:

Koncert počinje večeras.

If the word had another role, its form might change in a different sentence.

Could I also say Koncert će početi večeras?

Yes. That is also correct.

Koncert počinje večeras.
Koncert će početi večeras.

Both can mean The concert will start tonight.

The difference is mostly one of style and viewpoint:

počinje uses the present tense for a scheduled future event
će početi is an explicit future construction

In everyday Serbian, the present tense version is very natural for timetables, plans, and scheduled events.

Is počinje more like starts or is starting in English?

Usually it is best translated as starts here:

Koncert počinje večeras. = The concert starts tonight.

But depending on context, English might sometimes use is starting. Serbian present tense can cover a range of meanings that English expresses in different ways.

For this sentence, starts tonight is the most natural basic translation.

Do I need to use a subject pronoun like it?

No. Serbian normally does not use an extra subject pronoun when the subject noun is already stated.

So:

Koncert počinje večeras. is complete and natural.

You would not add a separate word meaning it here, because koncert already tells you what is starting.

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