Live group lessons start on May 5. Sign up until April 23 here.
Does choosing between Serbian prepositions u and na give you a headache? Indeed, these two small words are big troublemakers; sometimes, even advanced learners don’t know which one to pick.
With that in mind, this article will teach you when and how to use the two prepositions. With plenty of examples and a bit of practice, you’ll overcome this dilemma and take your Serbian game to the next level.
Let’s get started!
At first glance, Serbian prepositions u (in) and na (on) may seem simple. A book can be on a desk or inside a drawer — it’s a no-brainer, right?
Well, not quite. The truth is there are many different ways to use these words. As a result, it may appear that the more you learn, the trickier it gets.
But worry not — with our guide and a bit of practice, you’ll get the hang of it in almost no time!
The most typical way to use Serbian prepositions u and na is to describe where something or someone is.
For instance:
Knjiga je na stolu.
(The book is on the table.)
Knjiga je u kutiji.
(The book is in the box.)
Here’s another pair of examples:
Ja sam u dnevnoj sobi.
(I’m in the living room.)
Sedim na stolici.
(I’m sitting on a chair.)
So far, so good? Then, let’s dive a bit deeper.
If you’re at a stadium, which preposition would you go with? What about if you’re at school? Let’s see!
Ja sam na stadionu.
(I’m at a stadium.)
Ja sam u školi,
(I’m at school.)
As you can see, the English preposition at can be both u and na in Serbian. But what does it depend on? In simple terms, it’s a closed vs open space type of situation. Since a stadium is an outdoor space, you should use na. In contrast, a school is a building, so it goes with u.
That said, higher institutions, like universities, colleges, and academies, are an exception and go with na. For instance:
On radi na Akademiji umetnosti.
(He works at the Academy of Arts.)
Here are more examples with na:
On je na fudbalskom terenu.
(He’s at a soccer field.)
Opuštam se na plaži.
(I’m relaxing at a beach.)
Radim na farmi.
(I’m working at a farm.)
Čekam prtljag na aerodromu.
(I’m waiting for my luggage at the airport.)
Although an airport is a building, the main activities — boarding, taking off, and landing — take place outside. The same goes for a bus or train station. Even if you’re actually indoors, you’ll say:
Čekam voz na stanici.
(I’m waiting for the train at the station.)
Now, here’s how to discuss location in indoor places:
On je u kafiću.
(He’s at a cafe.)
Gledala sam film u bioskopu.
(I watched a movie at a theater.)
Mi smo u učionici.
(We’re in the classroom.)
However, the indoors-vs-outdoors rule won’t cover each situation. Namely, outdoor spaces that are clearly enclosed also pair with u. Here are some examples:
Pas je u dvorištu.
(The dog is in the backyard.)
Slon je u zoološkom vrtu
(The elephant is at the zoo.)
As for vehicles, using the correct preposition in English is quite a head-scratcher. For instance, are you on the bus or in it? Not in Serbian, though. Since they are closed spaces, you should opt for u.
Sedim u avionu.
(I’m sitting on an airplane.)
Baš je gužva u autobusu.
(It’s so crowded on the bus.)
Naturally, this doesn’t apply to open-top vehicles like bicikl (bicycle), motor (motorcycle), brod (ship), čamac (boat), trajekt (ferry), etc. These pair with na.
For example:
Plovim na brodu.
(I’m sailing on a ship.)
When it comes to geographic locations, the following rule of thumb will work in most situations:
So, if you’re describing your whereabouts using u, you can say:
Country: Ja živim u Srbiji.
(I live in Serbia.)
Continent: Srbija je mala zemlja u Evropi.
(Serbia is a small country in Europe.)
City: Živim i radim u Beogradu.
(I live and work in Belgrade.)
Next, take a look at these examples:
Mountain: Proveo sam zimski odmor na Alpima.
(I spent the winter vacation in the Alps.)
Peninsula: Hrvatska je zemlja na Balkanu.
(Croatia is a country in the Balkans.)
City part: Želim da iznajmim stan na Vračaru.
(I want to rent an apartment in Vračar (a part of Belgrade).
Island: Najbolje žurke su na Ibici.
(The best parties are in Ibiza.)
But what about islands that are also countries? The answer is — it depends.
While some island countries go with na, others pair with u. For your convenience, we’ll share common examples in the table below.
u | na |
u Velikoj Britaniji (Great Britain) | na Maldivima (Maldives) |
u Australiji (Australia) | na Novom Zelandu (New Zealand) |
u Japanu (Japan) | na Filipinima (Philippines) |
At last, when describing a location related to a sea, lake, or river, you’ll need to consider the context.
Plivam u moru/jezeru/reci.
(I’m swimming in the sea/lake/river.)
As you can see, for people or objects physically inside water, you should use u.
On the other hand, when describing an activity or building near or around the sea, lake, or river, go with na.
Imam kuću na jezeru.
(I have a house on the lake.)
Svake godine idemo na more.
(We go to the seaside every year.)
Also, a ship or a boat is na moru or na reci. If your ship is, in fact, u moru, something likely went wrong. In other words, it has sunk.
Events always pair with na.
Idem na rođendan.
(I’m going to a birthday party.)
Na koncertu sam.
(I’m at a concert).
Upoznali smo se na fudbalskoj utakmici.
(We met at a soccer game.).
Na sastanku sam.
(I’m at a meeting.)
However, if you’re referring to the venue, and not the event itself, follow the rules we explained earlier.
For reference, if you’re partying, you can express it in the following ways:
Event: Na žurci sam.
(I’m at a party.)
Venue: U klubu sam.
(I’m at a club.)
There’s time to use u, and there’s time to use na. But when?
Here are the general guidelines.
Use u to talk about:
On the other hand, you’ll use na for holidays:
When it comes to seasons, you can go with either, depending on the context.
First, u + season refers to any season, past, present, or future. For example:
Lišće pada u jesen.
(Leaves fall in the fall.)
However, if you use na + season, you’re talking about the coming season. For instance:
Na leto idemo na more.
(This summer we’re going to the seaside.)
Our guide on Serbian prepositions u and na wouldn’t be complete without mentioning cases. But don’t worry, we’ll keep it super simple.
Although the Serbian language has seven cases (terrible, right?), you’ll only need to focus on two of them — accusative and locative.
When discussing days of the week in Serbian, follow this formula: u + accusative
Vidimo se u petak.
(See you on Wednesday.)
In contrast, in the case of months or centuries, you’ll go with this: u + locative
Moj rođendan je u maju
(My birthday is in May.)
Živimo u dvadeset prvom veku.
(We’re living in the 21st century.)
As for holidays, use this pattern: na + accusative
Idem u crkvu na Božić.
(We go to church on Christmas.)
Luckily, describing location is quite simple: u/na + locative
Mačka je na stolici.
(The cat is on the chair.)
Živim u Beogradu.
(I live in Belgrade.)
Likewise, direction follows a predictable formula: u/na + accusative
Idemo na more.
(We’re going to the seaside.)
Stavio sam šećer u kafu.
(I put sugar in the coffee.)
With all that said, it’s not a big deal if you use the wrong case; you’ll still get your meaning across. Anyway, native speakers make tons of mistakes, too. Still, being mindful of which case goes with which preposition will help you pick up the rules over time.
Finally, you’ve got all the info you need to nail the usage of Serbian prepositions u and na in your conversations. Sure, you may still mix them up here and there. But that’s totally fine. In fact, each mistake you make (and correct) will bring you closer to achieving your goals!
So, keep practicing until you don’t even need to think about prepositions and grammar. For extra support, check out our online Serbian lessons. Book a free trial session, and we’ll tailor a personalized learning plan to help you boost your skills and become a confident speaker.
Are you in the mood for love? Perhaps you’re looking for the one, or you’re up for something casual. Either way, finding romance is thrilling,
Been studying Serbian for a while, but it still sounds like you’re reading from a textbook? Then, it’s time for Serbian idioms to join the
