Calling Someone
Use a special ending when you call someone by name.
How It Works
The vocative is the form you use to call or address someone.
| Type | Nominative | Vocative |
|---|---|---|
| masculine, most | Amir | Amire! |
| masculine | Hasan | Hasane! |
| masculine, soft end | prijatelj | prijatelju! |
| family word | brat | brate! |
| feminine in -a | sestra | sestro! |
| feminine name | Lejla | Lejla! |
Masculine nouns usually take -e, or -u after soft consonants such as j and lj. Common nouns in -a take -o (sestro, majko).
Names in -a usually stay the same in the vocative: Emina! Lejla! You may also hear Lejlo! or a pet form like Eminice!, so both exist. Short family words like mama and tata stay the same.
The vocative is for talking to someone. When you talk about Amir, use the nominative: Amir je došao.
Examples (5)
- Amire, dođi na kafu!
Amir, come for coffee!
Amir becomes Amire.
- Hasane, gdje si?
Hasan, where are you?
Hasan becomes Hasane.
- Brate, pomozi mi.
Brother, help me.
Brat becomes brate.
- Lejla, čekam te ispred škole.
Lejla, I am waiting for you outside school.
Names in -a usually stay the same.
- Sestro, jesi li gladna?
Sister, are you hungry?
Feminine nouns in -a take -o.
Common Mistakes
Using the nominative for a common noun when calling.
Brat, dođi!Brate, dođi!A common noun like brat takes the vocative ending when you call someone.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The vocative addresses a person.
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Calling Someone in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Bosnian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
