Lesson 9. Stress: where it never falls

In Russian, stress can fall anywhere: «мáма», «водá», «молокó». There are no rules. In Serbian, there is one important rule you will remember once and forever.

The main rule

That means in a two-syllable word, the stress is always on the first syllable. In a three-syllable word — on the first or second. Never on the last.

Let’s look at examples

In Russian «вода́» has stress on the second syllable. In Serbian voda has it on the first: “vó-da”.

In Russian it’s «сестра́». In Serbian it’s “sé-stra” — stress on the e.

“má-ma” — here Russian and Serbian match perfectly.

Three syllables: ja-bu-ka. Stress on the first: “já-bu-ka”.

Four syllables: čo-ko-la-da. Stress on the second: “čo-kó-la-da”. Important: not on the last.

Why this matters

If you put the stress on the last syllable, the word will not sound Serbian. A Serb will still understand you, but will immediately hear that the word sounds “Russian” or “foreign”.

Example: the Russian «братá» (meaning “brother’s”, as in “whose? — brother’s”) — in Serbian it’s bràta, with stress on the first syllable: “brá-ta”.

Exercises

Exercise 1

Split into syllables and mark the stress: voda, sestra, mama, riba, hleb.

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• vó-da (“vóda”)
• sé-stra (“séstra”)
• má-ma (“máma”)
• rí-ba (“ríba”)
• hleb — one syllable, stress on that single syllable.

Exercise 2

In the word jabuka (apple), which syllable gets the stress?

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The first: já-bu-ka. The third syllable is ruled out (it’s the last). The second — also not chosen.

Exercise 3

Which syllable can never take the stress in Serbian?

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The last one.

Exercise 4

Compare where the stress falls in Russian and in Serbian in the word “sister”:

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In Russian «сестра́» — on the last. In Serbian “séstra” — on the first.

Exercise 5

Two words: pas (dog) and mačka (cat). Where does the stress go?

Show answer

pas — one syllable, stress on it. mačka — two syllables, stress on the first: “má-čka”.

Lesson vocabulary

mačka (мачка)

— cat

pas (пас)

— dog

jabuka (јабука)

— apple

čokolada (чоколада)

— chocolate

sestra (сестра)

— sister