Spatial prepositions governing the genitive
In short
All seven take the genitive, in place or in motion — never the locative or accusative.
| preposition | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| iznad | above | iznad stola |
| ispod | under | ispod kreveta |
| iza | behind | iza vrata |
| ispred | in front of | ispred kuće |
| pored | next to | pored prozora |
| blizu | near | blizu škole |
| između | between | između stola i police |
između joins its two nouns with i, both genitive. Pronouns take the stressed form: ispred mene, pored njega.
A2 · Lesson 39 · Spatial prepositions with the genitive
The full explanation, from the lesson that teaches this rule
With u and na you can already say that something is in the room or on the table. That is often not precise enough: the keys are not just in the kitchen, they are behind the fridge, under the newspaper, between the two cups. Serbian has a small set of prepositions for exactly this, and the good news is that they all behave the same way: every one of them is followed by the genitive.
The seven prepositions
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| iznad | above, over | iznad stola — above the table |
| ispod | under, below | ispod kreveta — under the bed |
| iza | behind | iza vrata — behind the door |
| ispred | in front of | ispred kuće — in front of the house |
| pored | next to, beside | pored prozora — next to the window |
| blizu | near, close to | blizu škole — near the school |
| između | between | između stola i police — between the table and the shelf |
Notice how they come in pairs: iznad / ispod (above / under) and ispred / iza (in front of / behind). pored and blizu are both about closeness, but pored means directly beside something, touching or almost touching (pored kreveta), while blizu just means not far away (blizu centra, near the centre). između always needs two things (or a plural) to be between, and the two are simply joined with i, both in the genitive: između kuhinje i dnevne sobe.
The genitive you already know
Nothing new happens to the noun: it takes the same genitive endings you use after od, iz and kod. Here they are once more, because this lesson uses them constantly, singular and plural alike.
| Noun | Genitive singular | Genitive plural |
|---|---|---|
| sto (table) | stola | stolova |
| krevet (bed) | kreveta | kreveta |
| ormar (wardrobe) | ormara | ormara |
| kauč (sofa) | kauča | kauča |
| televizor (television) | televizora | televizora |
| umivaonik (sink) | umivaonika | umivaonika |
| polica (shelf) | police | polica |
| stolica (chair) | stolice | stolica |
| ogledalo (mirror) | ogledala | ogledala |
| vrata (door, always plural) | — | vrata |
An adjective in front of the noun goes into the genitive too (ispod velikog stola, pored bele police), and a pronoun after these prepositions is the full stressed form: ispred mene, iza tebe, pored njega, između nas.
No switching between cases
This is where these prepositions are actually easier than u and na. Those two change case depending on whether you are somewhere (u sobi, locative) or going somewhere (u sobu, accusative). The seven prepositions of this lesson never do that. Whether the lamp is above the table or you are hanging it above the table, it is iznad stola. Whether the cat sleeps under the bed or runs under the bed, it is ispod kreveta. Whether the suitcase stands behind the wardrobe or you put it there, it is iza ormara.
Do not let the verb of motion tempt you into the accusative. Stavi torbu ispod stola (put the bag under the table) keeps the genitive, exactly like Torba je ispod stola. If you find yourself writing ispod sto or iza krevet, stop: after these seven words the noun is always genitive.
blizu is also a plain adverb meaning nearby: Škola je blizu (the school is nearby). It becomes a preposition, with a genitive, only when you name what it is close to: Škola je blizu parka.
Check what you read
6 of the 18 questions this lesson asks in the app. Type the form or pick the answer.
Lampa visi iznad(sto).
Mačka spava ispod(krevet).
Ključevi su iza(televizor).
Ispred ___ je mala bašta.
Stavi torbu ispod ___.
Which preposition means "between"?
Examples from the course
The marked word is where the rule applies. Press play to hear the sentence.
Stavi torbu ispod stola.
Put the bag under the table.
Mačka spava ispod kreveta.
The cat sleeps under the bed.
Luster visi iznad stola.
The chandelier hangs above the table.
Fotelja stoji pored prozora.
The armchair stands next to the window.
Kaput visi iza vrata.
The coat hangs behind the door.
Škola je blizu parka.
The school is near the park.
Ispred kuće je mala bašta.
In front of the house there is a small garden.
Daljinski upravljač je pao iza jastuka.
The remote control fell behind the cushion.
Okačila sam sliku iznad kauča.
I hung the picture above the sofa. (woman speaking)
Deca se igraju između stolica.
The children are playing between the chairs.
Sentences in the course that use this rule: 174
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
The cat sleeps under the bed.