Formation of the passive participle
In short
| verb | suffix | m | f | n | m pl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -ati: napisati | -n | napisan | napisana | napisano | napisani |
| -iti / -ći: zatvoriti | -en | zatvoren | zatvorena | zatvoreno | zatvoreni |
| -nuti, uzeti-type: zauzeti | -t | zauzet | zauzeta | zauzeto | zauzeti |
-en softens the consonant before it: izgrađen, plaćen, napušten, napravljen. Agrees with the THING (napisan), not the doer (napisao).
B1 · Lesson 25 · Trpni pridev: -n, -en, -t
The full explanation, from the lesson that teaches this rule
You already know these words from signs: zatvoreno (closed), rezervisano (reserved), zauzeto (occupied). Each one describes a thing by what has been done to it: somebody closed the shop, reserved the table, took the seat. English does the same with written, built, closed. Serbian makes such a word from almost any verb that takes a direct object, and then uses it exactly like an adjective.
This word is called the passive participle (Serbian trpni pridev, literally 'the enduring adjective' — the noun endures the action). It is made by adding one of three suffixes to the verb: -n, -en or -t. It is almost always formed from a perfective verb, because it describes a finished result: napisati → napisan (written), izgraditi → izgrađen (built).
Which suffix? Look at the infinitive
| Verb type | Suffix | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| infinitive in -ati (including -irati, -ovati, -isati) | -n | napisati → napisan, renovirati → renoviran, zaključati → zaključan, rezervisati → rezervisan, potpisati → potpisan, nacrtati → nacrtan |
| infinitive in -iti, and verbs in -ći | -en | zatvoriti → zatvoren, otvoriti → otvoren, srušiti → srušen, završiti → završen, obojiti → obojen, peći → pečen |
| infinitive in -nuti; -eti verbs whose present has -m- or -n- (uzmem, počnem); and a few short verbs | -t | prekinuti → prekinut, skinuti → skinut, uzeti → uzet, zauzeti → zauzet, poslati → poslat, prodati → prodat |
The -en type changes the consonant just before it, the same way the stem changes in other forms you have met: d → đ (izgraditi → izgrađen), t → ć (platiti → plaćen), st → št (napustiti → napušten), and after p, b, v, m an lj appears (napraviti → napravljen, popraviti → popravljen). After r, š, ž, č and j nothing changes (zatvoren, srušen). When in doubt, learn the participle together with the verb.
It agrees like any adjective
Once you have the participle, forget it came from a verb: it takes ordinary adjective endings and agrees with its noun in gender, number and case. Standing after biti it uses the short form; in front of a noun it usually takes the long form.
| -n (napisati) | -en (zatvoriti) | -t (zauzeti) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | napisan | zatvoren | zauzet |
| feminine singular | napisana | zatvorena | zauzeta |
| neuter singular | napisano | zatvoreno | zauzeto |
| masculine plural | napisani | zatvoreni | zauzeti |
| feminine plural | napisane | zatvorene | zauzete |
| neuter plural | napisana | zatvorena | zauzeta |
| verb | masculine | feminine | neuter | masc. plural | fem. plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| renovirati (-n) | renoviran | renovirana | renovirano | renovirani | renovirane |
| zaključati (-n) | zaključan | zaključana | zaključano | zaključani | zaključane |
| rezervisati (-n) | rezervisan | rezervisana | rezervisano | rezervisani | rezervisane |
| izgraditi (-en) | izgrađen | izgrađena | izgrađeno | izgrađeni | izgrađene |
| obojiti (-en) | obojen | obojena | obojeno | obojeni | obojene |
| prodati (-t) | prodat | prodata | prodato | prodati | prodate |
- Most je zatvoren. — the bridge (masculine) is closed
- Prodavnica je zatvorena. — the shop (feminine) is closed
- Mesto je zauzeto. — the seat (neuter) is taken
- Svi prozori su otvoreni. — all the windows (masculine plural) are open
- Vrata su zaključana. — the door (vrata is neuter plural) is locked
In the other cases it simply takes the adjective endings you already know: u renoviranom stanu (in a renovated flat), kupili su srušenu kuću (they bought a ruined house).
Do not mix it up with the past-tense participle. napisao (he wrote) agrees with the person who did the writing; napisan (written) agrees with the thing that was written. Marko je napisao pismo — Pismo je napisano. The ending always follows the noun the participle describes, never the person who did the work.
Here the participle only describes a state: the shop is closed, the seat is taken. Using biti plus the participle to report an action — who built what and when — is the passive voice, and that comes in the next lesson.
Check what you read
6 of the 14 questions this lesson asks in the app. Type the form or pick the answer.
Pismo je već(napisati), samo treba da ga pošalješ.
Ovo je nova, tek(izgraditi) zgrada.
Sve kuće u našoj ulici su već(prodati).
Glavni ulaz je ___.
Garaža je ___, parkiraj na ulici.
Zidovi u sobi su ___ u belo.
Examples from the course
The marked word is where the rule applies. Press play to hear the sentence.
Svi prozori su otvoreni.
All the windows are open.
Taj stan je već prodat.
That flat has already been sold.
Most je zatvoren zbog radova.
The bridge is closed because of the works.
Gradilište je ograđeno visokom ogradom.
The building site is fenced off with a high fence.
Tražimo renoviran stan blizu centra.
We are looking for a renovated flat near the centre.
Ne ulazite, pod je tek opran!
Don't come in, the floor has just been washed!
Na kraju ulice stoji napuštena fabrika.
At the end of the street stands an abandoned factory.
Izvinite, da li je ovo mesto zauzeto?
Excuse me, is this seat taken?
Živimo u renoviranom stanu na trećem spratu.
We live in a renovated flat on the third floor.
Garaža je zauzeta, parkiraj auto na ulici.
The garage is occupied, park the car in the street.
Sentences in the course that use this rule: 102
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
Excuse me, is this seat taken?
polite, to a stranger (vi)