Dete se boji mraka.

child

Breakdown of Dete se boji mraka.

• mrak: darkness
• bojati se: to be afraid

Questions & Answers about Dete se boji mraka.

Why is it boji se / se boji? What does se do here?

Se is a very common Serbian clitic, often called a reflexive particle. With the verb bojati se, it is part of the verb itself: bojati se = to be afraid / to fear.

So in this sentence, you should learn the verb as a whole:

• bojati se = to fear, to be afraid

In the present tense:

• ja se bojim = I am afraid
• ti se bojiš = you are afraid
• on/ona/ono se boji = he/she/it is afraid

So Dete se boji... literally follows that pattern: The child is afraid...

Why is it mraka and not mrak?

Because bojati se takes the genitive case, not the accusative.

• base form: mrak = darkness
• genitive singular: mraka

So:

• bojati se mraka = to be afraid of the dark/darkness

This is something learners usually just memorize with the verb:

• bojati se + genitive

Other examples:

• Bojim se psa. = I am afraid of the dog.
• Boji se visine. = He/She is afraid of heights.
• Bojimo se problema. = We are afraid of problems.

Why is boji used here?