Vocative in Full
Use the vocative when you speak to a person: Brate, hvala! Sestro, gdje si? Prijatelju, dođi!
How It Works
| Type | Basic form | Vocative |
|---|---|---|
| hard consonant | sin, brat, gospodin | sine, brate, gospodine |
| soft consonant | prijatelj, učitelj | prijatelju, učitelju |
| feminine in -a | sestra, žena, majka | sestro, ženo, majko |
| feminine in -ica | učiteljica | učiteljice |
Nouns that end in k, g or h change the consonant before -e: Bog becomes Bože and junak becomes junače. Many nouns change like this, such as druže (from drug) and čovječe (from čovjek).
Feminine nouns that end in a consonant, like noć, usually keep the basic form. A few can take -i, as in ljubavi. Neuter nouns usually keep it too.
In relaxed speech many people simply use the basic form, especially with names, and you will hear Sestra! when someone calls to a sister. The full vocative sounds friendly and a bit careful. When you call to a title and a name, both take the case: gospodine Hasane.
Examples (5)
- Sine, dođi ovamo!
Son, come here!
Sin becomes sine.
- Brate, hvala ti.
Thank you, brother.
Brat becomes brate.
- Prijatelju, kako si?
Friend, how are you?
Prijatelj ends in a soft consonant, so -u.
- Gospodine Hasane, izvolite!
Mr Hasan, please come in!
Both the title and the name are in the vocative.
- Sestro, gdje si?
Sister, where are you?
Sestra becomes sestro.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The full vocative system.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
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