Nouns: Locative Case

01

Always After a Preposition

The locative follows a small set of prepositions: above all u (in), na (on / at), o (about) and po (around).

• Kuhar sam u restoranu.

  I am a cook in a restaurant.

• Moj tanjir je na stolu.

  My plate is on the table.

02

The Endings

• Masculine and neuter → -u: grad → gradu, selo → selu
• Feminine -a → -i: škola → školi, soba → sobi
• Plural → -ima: ljudi → ljudima, žene → ženama

• Naša kći je u školi.

  Our daughter is at school.

• škol- school, -i the feminine locative ending
• the dictionary form is škola; u in front demands the change

• Živimo na šesnaestom spratu.

  We live on the sixteenth floor.

03

Location versus Motion: u and na

The prepositions u and na work with two cases, and the case carries the meaning. With the locative they mark a static location (where you are); with the accusative they mark motion towards (where you are going). This contrast is one of the most useful things to master.

• Idem u školu.

  I am going to school. (accusative, motion)

• U školi sam.

  I am at school. (locative, location)

• Stavila sam cipele u ormar.

  I put the shoes in the closet. (motion)

• Cipele su u ormaru.

  The shoes are in the closet. (location)

04

'na' for Certain Places and Events

Some places, and most events, take na rather than u - a market, a floor, a faculty, the sky, a beach, a concert. Which preposition a place uses is partly fixed by custom, so it is worth noting with the word.

• Na pijaci sam.

  I am at the market.

• Na nebu ima mnogo oblaka.

  There are many clouds in the sky.

• Ja sam na poslu.

  I am at work.

Ordinary enclosed spaces keep u.

• Hrana je u frižideru.

  The food is in the fridge.

• Ključ je u ladici.

  The key is in the drawer.

05

Talking 'about' Something

o plus the locative means "about", marking the topic of speech or thought.

• Razgovaramo o poslu.

  We are talking about work.

• posl- work, -u the masculine locative ending, demanded by o

• Razmišljam o tebi.

  I am thinking about you.

• Razgovaramo o filmu.

  We are talking about the film.

06

'po': Around and Over

po with the locative means "around", "over" or "along a surface", spreading the action across a place.

• Šetam po gradu.

  I am walking around the city.

• Sunce sja po cijeloj sobi.

  The sun shines over the whole room.

07

More Everyday Locations

The locative is everywhere in ordinary descriptions of where people and things are.

• Moj prijatelj radi u uredu.

  My friend works in an office.

• Moji roditelji rade u banci.

  My parents work in a bank.

• Lijepa fotografija visi na zidu.

  A nice photo hangs on the wall.

• Imam bolove u trbuhu.

  I have pains in my stomach.

• Ovo je najbolji restoran na svijetu.

  This is the best restaurant in the world.

08

Time: Months

After u, the locative names the month in which something happens.

• Imam ulaznice za koncert u septembru.

  I have tickets for a concert in September.

• Moja baka umrla je u februaru.

  My grandmother died in February.

• Pohađao sam kurs u junu.

  I attended a course in June.

• U decembru ću imati sedamnaest godina.

  In December I will be seventeen.

09

Pronouns in the Locative

Because the locative always follows a preposition, its pronouns use the full forms: meni (me), tebi (you), njemu (him), njoj (her), nama (us), vama (you), njima (them).

• Govorili su o meni.

  They were talking about me.