Zdravo, dragi prijatelji! Where are you from? It is one of the very first questions we ask when we meet someone new - and today you will learn to answer it in Serbian, correctly and confidently.
What does IZ mean?
Iz means from - and here is the clear answer you came for: it always takes the genitive case. That means the noun after iz changes its ending. Do not worry about memorising tables just yet; learn the patterns below and you will sound natural right away.
The pattern
These two patterns are all you need to answer the classic "Where are you from?" question:
- "Ja sam iz..." - I am from...
- "Rođen sam u..." - I was born in... (said by a man; a woman says "Rođena sam u...")
Notice how the place name changes after iz: Beograd becomes iz Beograda, Srbija becomes iz Srbije. That is the genitive at work - quietly doing its job.
Hear it (carried forward)
Listen to the video below and repeat after me. Say "Ja sam iz..." out loud a few times - your future conversation partners will be glad you did.
Your task
Here is your homework, and it is a lovely one: write the answers to these questions in the comments, starting with "Ja sam iz..." and "Rođen sam u...":
Odakle ste? - Ja sam iz...
Gde ste rođeni? - Rođen sam u... / Rođena sam u...
It does not matter if your answer is short. "Ja sam iz Kanade." is a perfect sentence. Short and correct beats long and uncertain, every time.
More Serbian examples
Study these examples - the genitive endings after iz are highlighted by the context, and the u sentences show the locative for contrast:
| Serbian | English |
|---|---|
| "Ja sam iz Srbije." (genitive) | I am from Serbia. |
| "Ja sam iz Beograda." (genitive) | I am from Belgrade. |
| "Rođen sam u Novom Sadu." | I was born in Novi Sad. |
| "Ona je iz Francuske." (genitive) | She is from France. |
One more for the road: "Moja prijateljica je iz Hrvatske." - My friend is from Croatia. Read it out loud and feel that genitive ending.
FAQ
Why does "Srbija" become "Srbije" after iz?
Because iz always takes the genitive case. Feminine nouns like Srbija change to -e in the genitive, and masculine names like Beograd add -a. Learn it as a chunk: "iz Srbije", "iz Beograda" - done.
Do women say "Rođen sam u..." too?
Not quite - a woman says "Rođena sam u..." because the participle matches the speaker. Both are correct; they just agree with who is speaking.
Can I say "Ja sam iz..." about a city, not just a country?
Of course! "Ja sam iz Londona." or "Ja sam iz Toronta." work perfectly. The pattern never changes.
Now it is your turn - write "Ja sam iz..." in the comments and tell me where you are from. I read every answer and I am always happy to see how far you have come. Verujem u vas!
Srdačan pozdrav,
Marina Petrović