Particles

Level 5

Small words add feeling and do not change the grammar.

How It Works

Particles are short words that colour a sentence. They do not take endings, and they carry the speaker's mood.

Particle	Feeling	Example
baš	really, exactly	Baš je lijepo.
čak	even	Čak i Amir je došao.
ipak	still, anyway	Ipak idem.
valjda	I suppose, I hope	Valjda dolazi.
zar	surprise	Zar ne znaš?
pa	well, so	Pa dobro, idemo.

Some of these have a second job. Pa can also mean "and then" or "so": Došao je pa otišao. Zar is often followed by ne, and the question expects a yes: Zar nije lijepo?

Particles are best learned from conversation, because their meaning shifts with tone. Listen for them in Bosnian speech and try copying a sentence that sounds natural to you.

Examples (5)

Baš je lijepo u Jajcu.
It is really nice in Jajce.
Baš adds emphasis.
Čak i Tarik je došao na vrijeme.
Even Tarik came on time.
Čak i means even.
Pada kiša, ali ipak idemo.
It is raining, but we are going anyway.
Ipak means still.
Valjda Lejla dolazi večeras.
Lejla is coming tonight, I suppose.
Valjda shows hope or a guess.
Zar još nisi jeo?
Have you really not eaten yet?
Zar makes the question a surprised one.

How It Connects

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

ParticlesLevel 5

Learn This First

Particles.

Yes-No Questions With da li
Da li is a particle, so know how it forms questions first.
Level 1

Words in This Pattern

baščakipakvaljdazar

Practice Particles in Bubblegum

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