Verb Conjugations in Serbian - "To Think = Misliti"

After you have learned to say what you know (znati) and what you do (raditi), the next very natural step is to be able to say what you think - and for that, Serbian gives you the beautiful verb misliti. It is one of those verbs that comes up in every meaningful conversation.

"Šta misliš?" - "What do you think?" - is one of the most common phrases you will hear, and once you know this conjugation inside out, you will be able to use it and understand it every single day.

The verb misliti (to think) - present

Misliti follows the standard -iti class pattern. The stem is misli-, and the endings attach cleanly without any spelling changes.

Hear it (carried forward)

Listen to the clip below and pay close attention to how mislim and misliš sound in natural, flowing speech. Hearing the stress pattern early makes production much easier later.

A close relative - razmišljati (to think over)

Serbian gives you two distinct verbs for two distinct kinds of thinking. Misliti expresses having a thought or an opinion - "Mislim da je dobro" means "I think it is good," where you are sharing a view. Razmišljati, on the other hand, describes the active process of pondering, deliberating, or turning something over in your mind - "Razmišljam o tome" means "I am thinking about that / I am mulling that over."

A helpful way to keep them apart: if you can swap "think" for "believe" or "reckon" in English, use misliti; if you would say "think about" or "consider," reach for razmišljati. Both verbs are worth learning early because you will want both from the very first real conversation you have in Serbian.

Your wish

I would love to make these conjugation posts as useful as possible for you. Leave a comment below with a Serbian verb you have been curious about - or one you have been struggling with - and I will feature it in an upcoming lesson. What verb should we conjugate next?

Frequently asked questions

How do I say "I think so" in Serbian?

"Mislim da da" is technically correct but sounds a little unusual. In practice, Serbs say "Mislim da jeste" (I think so, slightly formal) or simply "Mislim da" followed by a full clause. A very common colloquial equivalent is just "Verovatno" (probably) or "Pretpostavljam" (I suppose/assume).

Can "misliti" be used with "na" to mean "to think of someone"?

Yes - "Mislim na tebe" means "I am thinking of you" and is a very common, warm phrase. In this construction misliti na + accusative expresses that someone is in your thoughts, which is subtly different from misliti da (to think that...) expressing an opinion.

What is the past tense of "misliti"?

The past participle is mislio (masculine) / mislila (feminine) / mislilo (neuter). Full past-tense examples: "Mislio sam da ćeš doći" - "I thought you would come" (male speaker); "Mislila sam isto" - "I thought the same" (female speaker).

Is there a difference between "misliš" and "ti misliš"?

They mean exactly the same thing. As covered in previous lessons, Serbian pronouns are optional because the verb ending (-š on "ti") already identifies the person. "Šta misliš?" and "Šta ti misliš?" are both perfectly natural - the version with "ti" just adds a slight emphasis, as if saying "And what do YOU think?"

You are thinking in Serbian already - even if the thought is "Šta to znaci?!" (What does that mean?!). That is exactly the right kind of thinking to keep doing. Every question you ask yourself in Serbian is a tiny step forward. Keep going; I am rooting for you.

Until next time, Marina Petrovic

Explore the full collection of conjugation lessons at More verb practice.