Saying "Than" in Serbian: od + Genitive vs nego
English has it easy: one little word, "than," covers every comparison. Serbian gives you two routes, and the trick is knowing which case each one triggers. The first route is <t>od</t> plus the genitive case. The preposition <t>od</t> forces the following noun or pronoun into the genitive, so "I" (ja) becomes mene, and "sister" (sestra) becomes sestre. This is the tighter, everyday default for comparing a single noun or pronoun: Stariji je od mene means "He's older than me," and Brat je viši od sestre means "The brother is taller than the sister." Notice sestra shifting to sestre — that case change is not optional. Ovo je jeftinije od onoga ("This is cheaper than that one") shows the same genitive at work. The second route is <t>nego</t>, a conjunction. After nego, the second item simply mirrors the case of the first, so when both sides are subjects you stay in the nominative: On trči brže nego ja ("He runs faster than I do"). Nego shines when you're comparing whole ideas or non-nouns, like two points in time: Bolje je nego juče ("It's better than yesterday"). For simple comparisons the two are often interchangeable — Veći je od mene and Veći je nego ja both mean "He's bigger than me." Three pitfalls trip up English speakers. First, leaving the pronoun in its base form after od: "Stariji je od ja" is wrong; it must be od mene. Second, over-correcting and forcing the genitive after nego: "On je brži nego mene" is wrong — say nego ja, because the mirror keeps the nominative. Third, reaching for the clunky nego when od + genitive sounds far more natural. Because English never makes you change the noun's form, the genitive is the part to drill: once od mene and od sestre feel automatic, you've cracked it.
Examples
- Stariji je od mene. He's older than me.
- Bolje je nego juče. It's better than yesterday.
- Ovo je jeftinije od onoga. This is cheaper than that one.
The full lesson
Everything in the video, in text.
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There are two ways to say than in Serbian. Choose the wrong one, and a simple sentence like he is older than me suddenly sounds broken.
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When you compare two things — bigger, cheaper, older — you need the word for than. Serbian gives you two tools for the job, and they each control the words around them differently.
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Here is the whole rule in one breath. After od, the next word goes into the genitive case. After nego, the next word simply mirrors the case of the thing you are comparing it with.
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One more thing up front: for short, simple comparisons, od plus the genitive is the tighter, more common choice. Reach for it first; keep nego in your back pocket.
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Let's build one. He is older than me. Stariji je od mene. After od, the pronoun goes genitive, so I becomes mene.
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Now compare two objects. This is cheaper than that one. Ovo je jeftinije od onoga. Same pattern: after od, that one shows up in its genitive form, onoga.
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It works with full nouns too. The brother is taller than the sister. Brat je viši od sestre. Sister, sestra, slides into the genitive and becomes sestre right after od.
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Now meet nego. It shines when you are not comparing two simple nouns, but two whole ideas — like two points in time. It's better than yesterday. Bolje je nego juče. Here juče, yesterday, just stays as it is — nothing turns genitive.
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The mirror rule really matters when both sides are subjects. He runs faster than I do. On trči brže nego ja. The first person, he, is the subject in the nominative, so after nego you mirror that and keep I as the nominative ja.
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Sometimes both structures are fine and say the same thing. He's bigger than me works either way. Veći je od mene. Veći je nego ja. od mene uses the genitive; nego ja mirrors the subject. Both are correct.
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Now the mistake everyone makes. People keep the subject form after od and say od ja. But od demands the genitive, so it has to be od mene.
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The opposite slip happens too: forcing the genitive after nego. Don't say nego mene when both sides are subjects — mirror the first item and say nego ja.
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A quick tip to decide fast: if you can swap in a single noun or pronoun, od plus the genitive is usually the smoother, more natural pick.
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So, to wrap up. After od, always the genitive. After nego, mirror the first item's case. And for simple comparisons, od is your everyday go-to.
