Languages and Nationalities

Level 2

A language is an adjective written with a small letter, and a person has a noun with a capital letter: Govorim bosanski. On je Bosanac, ona je Bosanka.

How It Works

Languages are small-letter adjectives. Use Govorim bosanski or Govorim bosanski jezik.

CountryLanguageManWoman
BosnabosanskiBosanacBosanka
NjemačkanjemačkiNijemacNjemica
TurskaturskiTurčinTurkinja
ŠvedskašvedskiŠveđaninŠveđanka
AmerikaengleskiAmerikanacAmerikanka

The plural of the person is made with a new ending: Bosanci, Nijemci, Šveđani. Not every language shares its country's name; English is spoken in many countries, so engleski belongs to no single place. The language is written with a small letter, and the person with a capital.

Practise with one sentence per row, such as Ona je Šveđanka, ali govori bosanski (she is Swedish, but she speaks Bosnian).

Examples (5)

  1. Govorim bosanski i engleski.

    I speak Bosnian and English.

    Languages are small-letter adjectives.

  2. Amir je Bosanac, a Selma je Njemica.

    Amir is Bosnian, and Selma is German.

    People use capital letters.

  3. Ona uči njemački.

    She is learning German.

    Uči takes the accusative, which for njemački looks the same as the nominative.

  4. Moja mama je Bosanka.

    My mother is Bosnian.

    Bosanka is the feminine noun.

  5. Haris je Šveđanin.

    Haris is a Swede.

    Šveđanin is the noun for a man from Sweden.

Common Mistakes

  • A language is written with a capital letter.

    Govorim Bosanski.
    Govorim bosanski.

    Languages are small-letter words.

How It Connects

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

Languages and NationalitiesLevel 2

Learn This First

Languages and nationalities are adjectives and nouns.

Words in This Pattern

jezikengleskinjemačkiturskiBosanacBosankaNijemacTurčinšvedskiAmerikanacŠveđaninŠveđanka