ja sam iz
I Am from
Use sam, si or je, then iz and the place in the genitive.
How It Works
To tell where you come from, use biti with iz. The place that follows is in the genitive case.
| Place | After iz |
|---|---|
| Mostar | iz Mostara |
| Tuzla | iz Tuzle |
| Zenica | iz Zenice |
| Bihać | iz Bihaća |
| Njemačka | iz Njemačke |
Most masculine names add -a, and most feminine names in -a end in -e instead. A few names change in other ways, so learn each name as you meet it. The question is Odakle si? (where are you from?). You can answer with the full sentence or only Iz Bihaća. Bosnian also uses iz for the origin of things, such as sir iz Travnika (cheese from Travnik).
Examples (5)
- Ja sam iz Mostara.
I am from Mostar.
Mostar becomes Mostara.
- Ona je iz Bihaća.
She is from Bihać.
Third person: je.
- Amir je iz Zenice.
Amir is from Zenica.
Feminine -a becomes -e.
- Mi smo iz Travnika.
We are from Travnik.
Plural subject: smo.
- Ja sam iz Njemačke.
I am from Germany.
Countries follow the same rule.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the place name in the nominative
Ja sam iz Sarajevo.Ja sam iz Sarajeva.Iz needs the genitive.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Saying where you are from uses biti.
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice ja sam iz in Bubblegum
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