Genitive of material and belonging after od
In short
od + genitive
| Use | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| material (sg) | thing + od + gen sg | sto od drveta, čaša od stakla |
| material (pl pieces) | thing + od + gen pl | kuća od cigala, ogrlica od perli |
| belonging | part + od + whole (gen) | ključ od stana, kabl od slušalica |
| statement | je napravljen/-a/-o, su napravljeni/-e + od | Sto je napravljen od drveta. |
Question: Od čega je?
B2 · Lesson 43 · Od + genitiv: materijal i pripadnost
The full explanation, from the lesson that teaches this rule
English says a wooden table or a table made of wood, a glass cup, the phone charger. Serbian very often says it with one small word: od followed by the genitive. Sto od drveta is literally 'a table from wood'; punjač od telefona is 'the charger from the phone'.
You already know od + genitive for where something comes from (pismo od mame) and for time (od ponedeljka). This lesson adds two more jobs: what a thing is made of, and which object a part belongs to. The grammar is the same each time: after od, the noun goes into the genitive you already know.
1. What something is made of
Put the material after the object: thing + od + material in the genitive. Most materials are uncountable, so they stand in the genitive singular.
| Material (nominative) | After od (genitive singular) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| drvo (wood) | od drveta | sto od drveta |
| staklo (glass) | od stakla | čaša od stakla |
| metal (metal) | od metala | kutija od metala |
| koža (leather) | od kože | jakna od kože |
| vuna (wool) | od vune | džemper od vune |
| papir (paper) | od papira | kesa od papira |
2. Made of many small pieces: genitive plural
When the thing is built from countable pieces — bricks, beads, shells — the material is plural, so it takes the genitive plural.
| Pieces (nominative plural) | After od (genitive plural) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| cigle (bricks) | od cigala | kuća od cigala |
| perle (beads) | od perli | ogrlica od perli |
| školjke (shells) | od školjki | narukvica od školjki |
3. Which object a part belongs to
In everyday speech Serbian also uses od for a part, accessory or key that belongs to a particular object: part + od + whole in the genitive. English usually just puts the two nouns side by side: the car key, the jar lid.
| Part | Whole (genitive) | English |
|---|---|---|
| ključ | od stana | the flat key |
| poklopac | od tegle | the jar lid |
| kabl | od slušalica | the headphone cable |
| punjač | od telefona | the phone charger |
| dugme | od kaputa | the coat button |
4. Napravljen od — 'made of'
To say it as a full statement, use biti napravljen od + genitive. Napravljen is an adjective, so it agrees with the thing in gender and number, exactly like any other adjective after je / su.
| Thing | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine (sto) | napravljen | Sto je napravljen od drveta. |
| feminine (kuća) | napravljena | Kuća je napravljena od cigala. |
| neuter (ogledalo) | napravljeno | Ogledalo je napravljeno od stakla. |
| plural (cipele) | napravljene | Cipele su napravljene od kože. |
Do not translate the English adjective with the bare noun: a glass bottle is flaša od stakla, never staklo flaša. And do not leave the material in the nominative: od drveta, not od drvo. Whatever follows od is always in the genitive.
To ask what something is made of, say Od čega je (napravljen)? — čega is simply the genitive of šta.
Check what you read
3 of the 14 questions this lesson asks in the app. Type the form or pick the answer.
After od, which form does the material take?
Kupila sam čašu ___.
Za zimu imam džemper ___.
Examples from the course
The marked word is where the rule applies. Press play to hear the sentence.
Gde je ključ od stana?
Where is the flat key?
Izgubio sam poklopac od tegle.
I've lost the jar lid.
Ovi tanjiri su napravljeni od gline.
These plates are made of clay.
Ova kuća je napravljena od cigala.
This house is made of bricks.
Moja sestra pravi ogrlice od perli.
My sister makes bead necklaces.
Ove cipele su napravljene od kože.
These shoes are made of leather.
Od čega je napravljena ova torba?
What is this bag made of?
Kupili smo novi sto od drveta.
We bought a new wooden table.
Za zimu mi treba džemper od vune.
I need a wool sweater for the winter.
Taj stari most je napravljen od kamena.
That old bridge is made of stone.
Sentences in the course that use this rule: 35
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
Where is the flat key?