The preposition za with the accusative: purpose and beneficiary
In short
za + accusative — what a thing is for, who it is for.
| the noun is | on its own | after za |
|---|---|---|
| feminine in -a | predstava | za predstavu |
| masculine, a thing | koncert | za koncert |
| masculine, a person | brat | za brata |
| neuter | dete | za dete |
Pronouns take the long accusative, never the clitic:
za mene, za tebe, za njega, za nju, za nas, za vas, za njih
An adjective in front moves with the noun: za moju sestru, za novi film, za malog brata.
A1 · Lesson 39 · What something is for, and who it is for
The full explanation, from the lesson that teaches this rule
You already know the accusative as the form a direct object takes: Kupujem kartu. — I'm buying a ticket. The same form turns up after the little word za, but there it answers a different question. Not what are you buying, but what is the thing for and who is it for.
Kupujem kartu. — I'm buying a ticket. Kupujem kartu za koncert. — I'm buying a ticket for the concert. Kupujem poklon za Anu. — I'm buying a present for Ana. One preposition, one case, two everyday jobs.
za takes the accusative — the form you already know
Nothing new has to be learned about the endings. Whatever a noun looks like as a direct object, that is exactly what it looks like after za.
| the noun is | on its own | after za |
|---|---|---|
| feminine in -a | predstava | za predstavu |
| masculine, a thing | koncert | za koncert |
| masculine, a person or animal | brat | za brata |
| neuter | dete | za dete |
So karta za predstavu is a ticket for the play, poklon za brata is a present for a brother, and novac za hleb is money for bread.
Who it is for: pronouns after za
When the person is a pronoun, this is where you meet the long accusative pronouns. The short clitics me, te, ga, je, nas, vas, ih can never stand after a preposition — a preposition needs a word with its own stress behind it.
| person | after za | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| I | za mene | for me |
| you (one person) | za tebe | for you |
| he / it | za njega | for him / for it |
| she | za nju | for her |
| we | za nas | for us |
| you (plural or polite) | za vas | for you |
| they | za njih | for them |
Never za me or za ga. After za always use the long form: za mene, za njega. Note that nas and vas look the same either way — they simply have one form.
With an adjective in front
If the noun after za has an adjective or a possessive in front of it, that word goes into the accusative too, and agrees with its noun in gender and number — exactly as it agrees in the nominative.
| nominative | after za |
|---|---|
| moja sestra | za moju sestru |
| novi film | za novi film |
| mali brat | za malog brata |
| ovo dete | za ovo dete |
The pattern is the same one the noun follows: the feminine ending becomes -u, the masculine thing does not move, and the masculine person takes -og.
You already know one other way to say who benefits: the dative, Kupujem Ani poklon — I'm buying Ana a present. Both are good Serbian. Use the dative when the person is on the receiving end of the buying; use za + accusative when you are describing the thing itself: Ovo je poklon za Anu. — This is a present for Ana.
za has other uses in Serbian — with time, for instance. Leave those for later; here it is only what something is for and who it is for.
Check what you read
3 of the 16 questions this lesson asks in the app. Type the form or pick the answer.
Imam dve karte ___.
Nemam vremena ___ kafu.
Ovaj poklon je ___ sestru.
Examples from the course
The marked word is where the rule applies. Press play to hear the sentence.
Kupujem parfem za baku.
I'm buying perfume for grandma.
Ovo pismo je za doktora.
This letter is for the doctor.
Treba mi rezervacija za predstavu.
I need a reservation for the play.
Ova torta je za tebe.
This cake is for you.
Imam malo iznenađenje za vas.
I have a little surprise for you. (speaking to more than one person)
Zamotala sam poklon za Milana.
I wrapped the present for Milan. (woman speaking)
Ovaj poklon nije za mene.
This present is not for me.
Kupujem poklon za moju sestru.
I'm buying a present for my sister.
Rezervisao sam sto za nas.
I reserved a table for us. (man speaking)
Ova ogrlica je za sestru.
This necklace is for my sister.
Sentences in the course that use this rule: 31
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
I'm buying perfume for grandma.