BosanskiGrammar 2: Where? Where To?
Gramatika 2: Gdje? Kuda?
Gdje si? U gradu!: Where Are You? In Town!
Goal: I can say where someone IS: u gradu, u kući, u Bosni, na pijaci.
'Gdje si?' is both a real question and the standard Bosnian hello (Unit 1). This lesson teaches you to answer the real one. Bonus: the answers double as the family GPS: nana je na pijaci, dedo je u kući, svi su u selu. Nothing in Bosnia is ever more precise than that, and nothing needs to be.
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| gdje si? | where are you? (casual 'hey!') | |
| u gradu | in town | |
| u kući | in the house / at home | |
| u Bosni | in Bosnia | |
| na pijaci | at the market | |
| u selu | in the village | |
| grad | city / town | |
| kuća | house / home | |
| selo | village | |
| eto me | I am on my way / here I come | |
| eto me, sad ću | I'm coming, just a sec | |
| krećem | I'm leaving / heading out now | |
| kod tetke sam | I'm at my aunt's | |
| stigao sam | I've arrived |
Kuda ideš? U grad!: Where To? To Town!
Goal: I can say where I'm GOING: idem u grad, u Bosnu, na pijacu, and hear the difference from where I am.
Researchers who study heritage Bosnian found that 'u grad or u gradu' is the coin-flip that betrays even fluent diaspora speakers. It is not a small detail: 'idem u čaršiju' gets you directions, 'idem u čaršiji' gets you a gentle smile and a correction. After today you flip no coins.
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| kuda? | where to? | |
| idem u grad | I'm going to town | |
| idem u Bosnu | I'm going to Bosnia | |
| idem na pijacu | I'm going to the market | |
| idem kod nane | I'm going to nana's | |
| idemo | we're going / let's go | |
| dolazim | I'm coming | |
| čaršija | old bazaar / town center | |
| kupiti | to buy | |
| s kim? | with whom? | |
| koliko dugo? | for how long? | |
| kada se vraćaš? | when are you coming back? | |
| idem s prijateljima | I'm going with friends | |
| vraćam se uveče | I'm coming back in the evening |
Daj nani!: Give It to Nana!
Goal: I can point actions AT people: daj nani, kaži mami, nosim dedi kahvu.
The -i of giving is the ending of generosity, and Bosnian family life runs on it: nosi nani, daj dedi, kaži mami, javi tetki. Master it and you stop being a guest at the table and become staff, which in a Bosnian house is a promotion.
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| daj nani | give it to nana | |
| kaži mami | tell mom | |
| nosim dedi kahvu | I'm bringing grandpa coffee | |
| pišem sestri | I'm writing to my sister | |
| daj bratu | give it to your brother | |
| drago mi je | nice to meet you | |
| daj mi | give me | |
| mama | mom | |
| sok | juice | |
| javi tetki | let your aunt know | |
| nosi nani | take it to nana | |
| daj komšiji | give it to the neighbor | |
| reci mami | tell mom |
Mali izlet: The Little Errand
Goal: I can run a whole errand in Bosnian: go somewhere, buy something, bring it to someone.
Two grammar units down, and everything in them came from research on what diaspora families actually lose: the object endings and the u-gradu-or-u-grad coin flip. Everything else about your home Bosnian was never broken. From here on, the endings show up quietly inside every unit, already explained.
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| kupujem | I'm buying | |
| evo me | here I am | |
| most | bridge | |
| rijeka | river | |
| gdje je...? | where is...? | |
| jedva čekam | I can't wait |
Next unit: Celebrations & Matchday.