при + Locative

At and During with Pri

Level 4Sounds Like pri + lokativ

The preposition при in standard Serbian exclusively governs the locative case (локатив). It expresses action concurrence ('upon / while doing'), formal institutional attachment ('affiliated with'), specific physical margins ('near the edge/top'), or fixed accompanying states ('conscious', 'having cash').

How It Works

In modern standard Serbian, при is a specialized preposition that strictly requires the locative case.

Its four primary functions are:

  • Temporal Co-occurrence & Concurrence: Signals that an event happens in the course of an action or process. It pairs predominantly with verbal nouns (e.g., при уласку — upon entering; при доношењу одлуке — during decision-making).
  • Institutional / Administrative Affiliation: Expresses that a body, department, or post operates under or is attached to an organization (e.g., саветник при амбасади — an advisor attached to the embassy).
  • Circumstance, Condition, or State: Common in fixed idiomatic expressions detailing an accompanying state (e.g., бити при свести — to be conscious; бити при новцу — to have funds on hand).
  • Physical Margins and Extreme Proximity: Marks immediate contact or extremities (e.g., при врху — near the top; при дну — near the bottom; при руци — at hand / within reach).

Important Distinctions:
• Do not use при to express visits to people or locations where код + genitive is required (use код лекара, never *при лекару).
• Do not use при for regular calendar durations (use током лета, never *при лету).
• Modern Serbian при never denotes directional movement and never takes the accusative.

Examples (5)

  1. Будите опрезни при преласку улице.

    Be cautious when crossing the street.

    Word by Word: Be cautious at crossing of-street.

    Here 'при' governs the locative singular of the verbal noun 'прелазак' (преласку) to express concurrence during an action.

  2. Он ради као истраживач у институту при Српској академији наука.

    He works as a researcher at an institute affiliated with the Serbian Academy of Sciences.

    Word by Word: He works as researcher in institute at Serbian Academy of-Sciences.

    Shows administrative and organizational affiliation using 'при' followed by feminine locative singular adjectives and noun ('Српској академији').

  3. Упркос несрећи, повређени возач је све време био при свести.

    Despite the accident, the injured driver was conscious the entire time.

    Word by Word: Despite accident, injured driver AUX all time was at consciousness.

    The fixed idiom 'при свести' (at consciousness) uses 'при' with the locative singular of 'свест' to denote a physical/mental state.

  4. Ознака се налази при самом врху странице.

    The mark is located near the very top of the page.

    Word by Word: Mark REFL finds at very top of-page.

    Denotes physical proximity to a margin or extremity ('при врху' — near the top, in the locative singular).

  5. Увек држим бележницу и оловку при руци.

    I always keep a notebook and pencil at hand.

    Word by Word: Always I-keep notebook and pencil at hand.

    The fixed phrase 'при руци' (at hand / readily available) uses the locative singular of 'рука'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'при' instead of 'код' for personal premises or visits.

    Јуче сам био при лекару.
    Јуче сам био код лекара.

    Learners familiar with Russian or German often transfer 'при/bei' to Serbian. In Serbian, visiting a person or being at someone's office strictly requires 'код' + genitive.

  • Using 'при' with calendar periods or seasons instead of 'током' or 'за време'.

    При распусту смо путовали на море.
    Током распуста смо путовали на море.

    'При' cannot be paired with general calendar time spans or holidays; it pairs with verbal nouns representing active processes. For time intervals, use 'током' or 'за време' with the genitive.

  • Attempting to use the accusative case after 'при' to show movement or attachment.

    Ставио је сто при зид.
    Ставио је сто уз зид.

    In contemporary standard Serbian, 'при' strictly governs the locative case and never takes the accusative. For directional placement along or against something, use 'уз' + accusative.

How It Connects

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

при + LocativeLevel 4At and During with Pri

Learn This First

To use 'при + локатив' properly, learners need a solid grasp of locative case endings and prior experience using prepositions that govern the locative.

Words in This Pattern

при