fokitab kiro cusirovo novobina nevuwozo

The vocative case is used primarily for directly addressing or calling someone or something. It is one of the seven grammatical cases in Serbian, which include nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, vocative, instrumental, and locative. The vocative case is unique in that it is not used to indicate the role of a noun in a sentence but rather to engage directly with the noun.

Formation of the Vocative Case

The formation of the vocative case in Serbian depends on the gender and the ending of the noun in its nominative form:

• Masculine Nouns: For most masculine nouns ending in a consonant, the vocative is formed by adding the suffix "-e" or "-u". For example, "Marko" becomes "Marko" (no change), but "Petar" becomes "Petre".
• Feminine Nouns: Feminine nouns ending in "-a" typically change the ending to "-o". For example, "Ana" becomes "Ano".
• Neuter Nouns: Neuter nouns generally do not change in the vocative case.

Usage of the Vocative Case

The vocative case is used in various contexts, including:

• Direct Address: When calling someone by name or title. For example, "Jovane, dođi ovamo!" (John, come here!).
• Expressing Emotions: Often used to express emotions such as surprise, joy, or anger. For example, "Bože!" (Oh God!).
• Formal and Informal Settings: The vocative case can be used in both formal and informal settings, though it is more common in informal speech.

Examples

Here are some examples of the vocative case in use:

• Masculine: "Dragi prijatelju, kako si?" (Dear friend, how are you?)
• Feminine: "Milice, hoćeš li doći?" (Milica, will you come?)
• Neuter: "Dete, pazi!" (Child, be careful!)

Special Considerations

• Honorifics and Titles: When using titles or honorifics, the vocative case is also applied. For example, "gospodine" (sir) from "gospodin".