Apposition

Level 6

An apposition renames a noun and agrees with it in case: Sarajevo, glavni grad; u Sarajevu, glavnom gradu.

How It Works

CaseExample
nominativeSarajevo, glavni grad, leži u dolini.
locativeu Sarajevu, glavnom gradu
accusativeVidio sam Amira, svog brata.
instrumentals Eminom, našom učiteljicom

The commas close the apposition on both sides, as in Mostar, grad na Neretvi, privlači turiste. If the apposition is at the end of the sentence, one comma opens it and the full stop closes it.

A close apposition has no commas and usually both words change: na rijeci Uni (on the Una river), u gradu Mostaru (in the city of Mostar). With some names the second word stays the same, and with titles of books and films it is not changed. When you are not sure, look for the phrase in a newspaper.

Examples (5)

  1. Sarajevo, glavni grad Bosne i Hercegovine, leži u dolini.

    Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, lies in a valley.

    The apposition is in the nominative like Sarajevo.

  2. Živim u Sarajevu, glavnom gradu.

    I live in Sarajevo, the capital.

    Both words are in the locative.

  3. Vidio sam Amira, svog brata.

    I saw Amir, my brother.

    Both words are in the accusative.

  4. Razgovarali smo s Eminom, našom učiteljicom.

    We talked with Emina, our teacher.

    Both words are in the instrumental.

  5. Mostar, grad na Neretvi, privlači turiste.

    Mostar, a city on the Neretva, attracts tourists.

    Commas set the apposition apart.

Common Mistakes

  • The apposition stays in the nominative.

    Živim u Sarajevu, glavni grad.
    Živim u Sarajevu, glavnom gradu.

    The apposition takes the same case as the noun.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

AppositionLevel 6

Learn This First

Apposition.

Words in This Pattern

apozicija