Family Words
Family words include mama, tata, brat, sestra, baka and djed, and each is a noun with its own gender.
How It Works
These are the first family words to learn.
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
| tata (dad) | mama (mum) |
| brat (brother) | sestra (sister) |
| djed (grandfather) | baka (grandmother) |
| sin (son) | kćerka (daughter; also kći and ćerka) |
| muž (husband) | žena (wife, woman) |
The word for parents is roditelji, and a child is dijete. Uncles and aunts have separate words, such as stric and ujak for the father's and the mother's brother, and teta for an aunt. Many families also use the Turkish-origin amidža (father's brother) and, less often, daidža (mother's brother).
Tata and a few other masculine words end in -a. The adjective follows the person, so you use moj tata, not moja tata.
Examples (5)
- Moja baka živi u Tuzli.
My grandmother lives in Tuzla.
Baka is feminine, so we say moja.
- Moj tata radi u Zenici.
My dad works in Zenica.
Tata is masculine even though it ends in -a, so we say moj.
- Imam jednu sestru i dva brata.
I have one sister and two brothers.
After dva, brat takes the form brata.
- Djed pije kafu.
Grandfather is drinking coffee.
Djed is masculine and ends in a consonant.
- Selma ima dvije sestre.
Selma has two sisters.
Dvije is the feminine form of two.
Common Mistakes
The adjective follows the -a ending instead of the person.
Moja tata je kod kuće.Moj tata je kod kuće.Tata is a man, so the adjective is masculine.
Related Patterns
- Masculine Nouns
Brat, djed and sin are masculine nouns.
Level 1 - Feminine Nouns
Mama, sestra and baka are feminine nouns.
Level 1 - Masculine Nouns in -a
Tata is one of the masculine words in -a.
Level 2 - moj tvoj njegovMy, Your, His, Her
These words show who belongs to whom.
Level 1 - Adjectives and Gender
Adjectives follow the person's gender.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice Family Words in Bubblegum
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