Language/Bosnian/Grammar/Gender

Bosnian Grammar - Gender

Hi Bosnian learners! 😊

In this lesson, you will learn about one of the most important aspects of Bosnian grammar - Gender. Bosnian, like many other Slavic languages, has three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter.

Don't let the concept of gender scare you! We will explain this topic clearly and in a simple way. This lesson is designed for intermediate learners who have basic knowledge of Bosnian grammar. 😊

After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Bosnian Alphabet and Pronunciation & Present Tense.

What is Gender

In grammar, gender is a linguistic concept that refers to the categorization of words into classes based on their semantic or syntactic properties. In Bosnian, all nouns have a gender, and it is usually indicated by the ending of the noun.

There are three genders in Bosnian:

• Masculine - words with endings -a, -e, -i, -o or a consonant
• Feminine - words with endings -a, -e, and -ija
• Neuter - words with endings -o, -e, -um, and -ije

Gender determines the declension of a noun, adjective, pronoun, and verb conjugation. In other words, the ending of a word will change depending on its gender. For example:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
kuća (feminine)	koo-cha	house	soba (feminine)	so-ba	room	auto (neuter)	au-to	car	grad (masculine)	graad	city	univerzitet (masculine)	oo-nee-ver-zi-tet	university

In the example above, you can see that the nouns are categorized into various genders based on their endings. This will affect the form of the adjective, pronoun, and verb that agree with these nouns.

Exception to Gender Rules

Now that you understand the basics of gender, it's essential to know that like any other rules in Bosnian grammar, there are exceptions.

Some words don't follow the standard gender rules, and they are classified into 'mixed' gender. For example:

• Ruka (feminine) - hand
• Uho (neuter) - ear
• Oko (neuter) - eye

These words may be classified under a particular gender but have genders switch when pluralized or used in certain cases. It is also important to remember that the gender of a noun cannot be determined by the semantics of a word, so there is always the need to memorize the gender of a word.

Understanding Gender and Culture

Gender is an essential part of not only Bosnian language but also Bosnian culture. For most Bosnians, gender is not only applicable to words, but also it is a part of their everyday beliefs.

Bosnian society, like many other societies, sees gender as a social construct that influences various aspects of society. Bosnian language also reflects this reality. Certain professions, when expressed in Bosnian, are gendered. For example, "doktor" (doctor) is masculine, while "doktorica" (female doctor) is feminine.

Knowing gender in Bosnian is, therefore, a way to understand Bosnian culture and to avoid misunderstandings. Suppose you are learning Bosnian with the aim of working in Bosnia or dealing with Bosnians on a professional level. In that case, it is crucial to know the gender of words, especially for job titles and professions.

Examples in Context

Learning gender in the Bosnian language can be challenging, but with practice and context, it becomes easier. Here is an example of a dialogue between two Bosnian speakers:

• Person 1: Imam novi auto. (I have a new car.)
• Person 2: Koji je model automobila? (What is the car model?)
• Person 1: Audi. (Audi.)
• Person 2: Kakva je boja auta? (What color is the car?)
• Person 1: Crna. (Black.)

In the dialogue above, you can see how the gender of some words affect how the speaker forms the sentence. In this particular case, "auto" is a neuter noun, so it is correct to say "Imam novi auto" instead of "Imam novu auto." Similarly, "crna" is a feminine adjective, so it agrees with the gender of "boja" (color) being described.

Conclusion

In conclusion, gender is an essential aspect of Bosnian grammar. Bosnian has three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Nouns are classified according to their endings, and their gender determines the declension of a noun, adjective, and verb conjugation.

We hope that you have understood the most critical points about gender in Bosnian, and don't forget to practice, practice, and practice! 😊

To improve your Bosnian grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Everything You Need to Know About Bosnian Grammar | BLEND

With this lesson finished, you may want to explore these additional pages: 0 to A1 Course & Articles and Nouns.

Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Pronouns
• Nouns
• Personal pronouns
• Plurals
• Future Tense
• How to Use Have
• Give your Opinion
• Questions