Subject pronouns (ja, ti, on / ona / ono…)
The subject pronouns are ja (I), ti (you, informal), on/ona/ono (he/she/it), mi (we), vi (you plural or formal), oni/one/ona (they). Like Spanish or Italian, Serbian usually drops them because the verb ending already shows the person — you use them mainly for emphasis or contrast.
Examples
- Ja sam Ana. I am Ana.
- Radiš mnogo. You work a lot.
- Vi ste ljubazni. You are kind.
The full lesson
Everything in the video, in text.
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Here's a habit that instantly marks you as a beginner in Serbian: saying 'I' before every single verb. The natural sentence usually drops the pronoun completely.
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Let's meet the subject pronouns first — the words for who is doing the action. There are six persons, and every verb in the language hangs on them.
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In the singular: 'ja' is I, 'ti' is you, and the he-she-it slot splits by gender — 'on' for he, 'ona' for she, 'ono' for it. ja, ti, on, ona, ono
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In the plural: 'mi' is we, 'vi' is you, and 'they' also splits by gender — 'oni' for a masculine or mixed group, 'one' for an all-female group, 'ona' for neuter things. mi, vi, oni, one, ona
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Now the big idea. The verb ending already tells you who the subject is, so the pronoun is optional. Most of the time, Serbian just drops it — like Spanish or Italian.
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Watch. To say 'you work a lot', you don't need 'ti'. The verb ending -š already means 'you'. Radiš mnogo.
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Same with 'we'. 'We're going home' needs no 'mi' — the ending -mo carries it. Idemo kući.
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So when do you actually use the pronoun? For emphasis or contrast. 'I am Ana' keeps 'ja' because you're introducing yourself, putting the focus on who you are. Ja sam Ana.
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And to contrast two people, you keep both pronouns. 'I work, but you rest' — here 'ja' and 'ti' point clearly at who does what. Ja radim, a ti se odmaraš.
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Now the trap that gets every learner. There are two ways to say 'you'. Use 'ti' with friends, family, and children. With a stranger or someone you respect, use the polite 'vi'.
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Get this wrong and it stings. Saying 'ti' to a stranger sounds too familiar, almost rude. The safe, respectful choice with people you don't know is 'vi'. Vi ste ljubazni.
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One more thing many learners miss: 'they' has gender. An all-female group is 'one', not 'oni' — getting that right makes you sound truly natural. One su ovde.
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So, lock in three things. Drop the pronoun by default. Keep it only for emphasis or contrast. And choose 'ti' or 'vi' by how well you know the person.