Serbian 701 — the little word that turns travelling into moving about.
These seven verbs all carry se, and in every one of them the se does the same quiet job: it turns going somewhere into moving about — an activity you do, rather than a distance you cover. Voziti is to drive a vehicle; voziti se is to be driven, to ride, to be out in a car. Šetati can mean to walk a dog; šetati se is to stroll.
Underneath the list sits the aspect pair, which is what really separates them:
| Nesvršeni | Svršeni | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| šetati se | prošetati se | pro- closes the walk: one walk, taken and finished |
| vozati se | provozati se | same prefix, same effect — one ride, there and back |
| vraćati se | vratiti se | no prefix; the root itself changes, -ćati against -titi |
| trčati | zatrčati se | za- starts the action: the first few steps, not the run |
The prefix za- in zatrčati se is worth its own note. It is the beginning-of-an-action prefix — zapevati is to burst into song, zaplakati is to start crying. So zatrčao se does not mean he ran; it means he took off running, usually towards something, usually to gather speed.
And be careful with vraćati se against vratiti se. Vraćam se is said on the way — I am on my way back. Vratio sam se means the return is complete: I am here.
English on the left, the Serbian infinitive with SE in the box.
1. to go for a walk (once, and back)
2. to be going for a walk (the activity itself)
3. to go for a drive (a short one, and back)
4. to be driving around (no destination in mind)
5. to come back (and you are there)
6. to be coming back (you are on the way)
7. to start running towards something
SR (lat): Upisuje se ceo infinitiv, zajedno sa SE. Latinicom ili ćirilicom; dijakritici su opcioni.
СР (ћир): Уписује се цео инфинитив, заједно са СЕ. Латиницом или ћирилицом; дијакритици су опциони.
EN: Type the full infinitive, including SE. Latin or Cyrillic, diacritics optional.
One more verb with SE — and the case it drags behind it.
SEĆATI SE + genitiv →