ti / vi

Ti and Vi

Level 1

Ti goes with si, and vi goes with ste. The same vi also means "you" for a group.

How It Works

Bosnian has two words for "you". Ti is for one person who is close to you, such as a friend, a brother or a child. Vi is for a person you do not know, an older person, a teacher, a boss or a customer. It is also the plain word for "you" when you talk to more than one person.

tivi
to beKako si?Kako ste?
fromOdakle si?Odakle ste?
to knowZnaš li?Znate li?

With polite vi the verb is plural even though you speak to one person. In a letter or an email people often write Vi with a capital letter. In dialogue and in these lessons it is lowercase.

Many younger people switch to ti quickly. It is fine to ask Možemo li preći na ti? (Can we switch to ti?) when a conversation warms up.

Examples (5)

  1. Kako si, Amire?

    How are you, Amir?

    Si goes with friendly ti.

  2. Kako ste, gospodine?

    How are you, sir?

    Ste goes with polite vi.

  3. Odakle ste vi?

    Where are you from?

    The question is polite, so the verb is ste.

  4. Vi ste moji gosti.

    You are my guests.

    Vi also means "you" for several people.

  5. Ti si moja sestra.

    You are my sister.

    Family members use ti.

Common Mistakes

  • Mixing the pronoun and the verb.

    Vi si iz Tuzle?
    Vi ste iz Tuzle?

    Vi needs ste, and ti needs si.

How It Connects

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

ti / viLevel 1Ti and Vi

Learn This First

The ti and vi choice is a choice between two pronouns.

Words in This Pattern

tivibiti