Otkazali smo koncert.

We canceled the concert.

Breakdown of Otkazali smo koncert.

• biti: to be
• koncert: the concert
• otkazati: to cancel

Questions & Answers about Otkazali smo koncert.

Why is there no word for we in this sentence?

Because Serbian often leaves subject pronouns out when they are already clear from the verb form.

In Otkazali smo koncert, the combination -li + smo already tells you the subject is we. So mi is not necessary.

You could say Mi smo otkazali koncert, but that usually adds emphasis, like we cancelled the concert.

What tense is otkazali smo?

It is the past tense in Serbian.

Serbian forms this tense with:

• a past participle form: otkazali
• plus a present-tense form of to be: smo

So:

• otkazali = cancelled
• smo = are / we are, but here it functions as part of the past tense

Together, otkazali smo means we cancelled or we have cancelled, depending on context.

Why is it otkazali, with -i at the end?

That ending agrees with the people who did the action.

In this sentence, otkazali is the masculine plural form, which is also the normal form for:

• a group of men
• a mixed group of men and women
• a group whose gender is not being specified

If the speakers were all female, you would say: