Bare accusative of measure and distance
In short
| Noun | Bare accusative | Use |
|---|---|---|
| stanica | stanicu ranije | by how much |
| ulica | ulicu dalje | by how much |
| godina | godinu kasnije | by how much |
| kilometar | kilometar dalje / hodali smo kilometar | how far |
| noć | celu noć | how long |
| dan | ceo dan | how long |
| jutro | celo jutro | how long |
No preposition: never za stanicu ranije. Feminine -a → -u; masculine things and neuters look like the dictionary form.
B2 · Lesson 51 · The bare accusative of measure (stanicu ranije)
The full explanation, from the lesson that teaches this rule
English needs a little glue word to say how much or how far: get off one stop earlier, we walked for a kilometre, I waited all night. Serbian usually needs no glue at all. It takes the noun that measures — a stop, a kilometre, a night — puts it in the accusative, and sets it right next to the word it measures. No preposition.
- Izađi stanicu ranije. — Get off a stop earlier.
- Hodali smo kilometar. — We walked a kilometre.
- Čekao sam celu noć. — I waited all night.
Three jobs, one pattern
- By how much — with a comparative word like ranije (earlier), kasnije (later), dalje (further), bliže (closer): stanicu ranije, ulicu dalje, godinu kasnije.
- How far — after a verb of movement: hodali smo kilometar, pešačili smo kilometar do stanice.
- How long — after almost any verb: vozili smo se ceo dan, autobus je kasnio celu nedelju, gužva je trajala celo jutro.
What the noun looks like
It is the same accusative you already use for a direct object. Feminine nouns in -a change to -u, so the pattern is easy to hear. Masculine things, neuter nouns and feminine nouns ending in a consonant (like noć) look exactly like the dictionary form — the accusative is there, it just is not visible. An adjective in front agrees: celu stanicu, ceo dan, celo jutro, celu noć.
| Dictionary form | Bare accusative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| stanica (stop) | stanicu | stanicu ranije — a stop earlier |
| ulica (street) | ulicu | ulicu dalje — a street further on |
| godina (year) | godinu | godinu kasnije — a year later |
| nedelja (week) | nedelju | celu nedelju — all week |
| noć (night) | noć | celu noć — all night |
| kilometar (kilometre) | kilometar | kilometar dalje — a kilometre further |
| dan (day) | dan | ceo dan — all day |
| jutro (morning) | jutro | celo jutro — all morning |
So when kilometar, dan or jutro stands bare after a verb or before dalje, it is not a nominative that lost its preposition: it is an accusative, and a masculine thing's (or a neuter noun's) accusative simply looks the same as its dictionary form.
Do not translate the English glue word. A stop earlier is stanicu ranije, not za stanicu ranije or na stanicu ranije; all night is celu noć, not za celu noć — za + accusative means 'within/in (time from now)' or 'for (a purpose)', a different idea. And keep the -u: stanica ranije sounds broken.
The measure noun sits right before the comparative it measures: stanicu ranije, ulicu dalje. With duration it usually follows the verb: čekali smo celu noć. With a number of two or more the counted noun goes into the genitive after the number (dva kilometra, pet minuta), but the whole phrase still stands without a preposition.
Check what you read
6 of the 12 questions this lesson asks in the app. Type the form or pick the answer.
Izađite(stanica) ranije, tako ćete biti bliže hotelu.
Muzej je samo(ulica) dalje.
Radovi na putu traju(cela nedelja).
Vozili smo se ___.
Get off a stop earlier.
We waited all night.
Examples from the course
The marked word is where the rule applies. Press play to hear the sentence.
Hodali smo kilometar.
We walked a kilometre.
Izađi stanicu ranije.
Get off a stop earlier.
Zašto nisi sišla stanicu ranije?
Why didn't you get off a stop earlier?
Sledeća stanica je kilometar dalje.
The next stop is a kilometre further on.
Mašinovođa je usporio kilometar pre tunela.
The train driver slowed down a kilometre before the tunnel.
Tramvaj staje ulicu dalje od trga.
The tram stops a street beyond the square.
Pešačili smo kilometar do prve autobuske stanice.
We walked a kilometre to the first bus stop.
Prošetaj ulicu dalje, tamo je stajalište taksija.
Walk a street further, the taxi rank is there.
Ako izađeš stanicu kasnije, bićeš bliže muzeju.
If you get off a stop later, you'll be closer to the museum.
Da li je krajnja stanica samo stanicu dalje?
Is the last stop of the line just one stop further on?
Sentences in the course that use this rule: 20
Try it yourself
Translate a sentence that uses this rule. The check marks the word that went wrong and names the rule behind it, as in the app.
Sentences
Write it in Serbian
A return ticket for the intercity bus is a thousand dinars more expensive.