oba / obje

Both

Level 4

Oba for masculine and neuter, obje for feminine.

How It Works

"Both" has two forms in Bosnian, and the choice depends on gender.

Gender	Word	Example
masculine	oba	oba brata
neuter	oba	oba sela
feminine	obje	obje sestre

The noun after them has the same shape as after dva and dvije: dva brata, dvije sestre. So brata and sestre look like genitives, but they are the counted form.

You will also meet obadva and obadvije, with the same meaning and the same gender split. They are a little longer and common in speech.

For a mixed pair, such as a brother and sister, use oboje: Oboje su došli. (Both of them came.) For two male persons, obojica is also used.

The verb with oba or obje usually takes the plural: Obje sestre rade u Tuzli.

Examples (5)

Oba brata žive u Zenici.
Both brothers live in Zenica.
Oba goes with masculine brat.
Obje sestre rade u školi.
Both sisters work at a school.
Obje goes with feminine sestra.
Oba sela su blizu Jajca.
Both villages are near Jajce.
Oba also goes with neuter nouns.
Obje djevojke vole sevdah.
Both girls love sevdah.
Djevojka is feminine.
Oboje su stigli na vrijeme.
Both of them arrived on time.
Oboje is for a mixed pair.

Common Mistakes

Using oba with a feminine noun.
Oba sestre.
Obje sestre.
Feminine nouns need obje.

How It Connects

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

oba / objeLevel 4Both

Learn This First

Oba and obje mean both.

dva / dvijeDva and Dvije
Oba and obje depend on gender in the same way as dva and dvije, so know that pair first.
Level 2

Words in This Pattern

obaobjeoboje

Practice oba / obje in Bubblegum

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