Complex Sentences
Сложене реченице — Connect people, reasons, contrasts and reported words naturally.
The role decides the case
који agrees with its antecedent but takes the case required inside the relative clause: човек којег/кога познајем, жена којој пишем, град у којем живим.
Ово је жена којој сам послао поруку.
This is the woman to whom I sent a message.
Da for content, što for a fact
Use да after thought, speech and intention: «Мислим да је у праву», «Желим да дођем». A reaction to an established fact often takes што: «Драго ми је што си ту.»
Знам да долази и драго ми је што долази.
I know he is coming, and I am glad that he is coming.
Cause, contrast and sequence
јер and зато што give a reason; иако introduces a concession, док marks overlap or contrast, and чим means as soon as.
Чим стигнем, позваћу те.
As soon as I arrive, I will call you.
The full clitic cluster
Clitics follow a strict early order. In «Да ли си му га дао?» the cluster is ли + auxiliary си + dative му + accusative га. With је, that auxiliary comes last: «Дала му га је.»
Дао сам му га јуче.
I gave it to him yesterday.
Reporting another voice
Reported statements use да: «Рекла је да ће доћи.» Serbian usually keeps the tense that fits the event rather than applying automatic English-style backshift.
Рекао је да живи у Нишу.
He said that he lives in Niš.
Put It Together
Keep the lesson goal in view: Connect people, reasons, contrasts and reported words naturally. Revisit the examples, then test yourself in practice.