From, Of, Without: the Genitive
Генитив — Из Србије, код баке, без шећера — and нема.
The basic shapes
Genitive singular commonly ends in -а for masculine and neuter nouns and -е for feminine nouns: град → града, млеко → млека, кафа → кафе.
града, млека, кафе
of the city, milk, coffee
Prepositions that require it
из (from), код (at someone's place), без (without), and до (up to/as far as) take the genitive: из Београда, код баке, без шећера, до станице.
Кафа без шећера, молим.
Coffee without sugar, please.
Нема means there isn't
Use нема + genitive when something is absent: Нема проблема. Нема млека. Нема Ане. The noun after нема names what is missing.
Нема проблема!
No problem!
Possession and quantities
The genitive expresses “of”: чаша воде, килограм сира, стан моје сестре. Serbian replaces the English preposition with a changed ending.
чаша воде
a glass of water
Немам is different from нема
Ordinary «немам» can keep a direct object in the accusative: Имам ауто → Немам ауто. Existential «нема» takes the genitive: Нема аутомобила испред куће.
Немам ауто.
I don't have a car.
Put It Together
Keep the lesson goal in view: Из Србије, код баке, без шећера — and нема. Revisit the examples, then test yourself in practice.