In Serbian, the present simple tense and the present continuous tense are identical.
Also, we do not use the verb ‘to be’ in the present.
Subject pronouns:
I – Ja
You – Ti
He – On
She – Ona
It – Ono
We – Mi
You (plural, formal) – Vi
They – Oni
I read. = I am reading. = Ja čitam.
You cook. = You are cooking. = Ti kuvaš.
He sings. = He is singing. = On peva.
She works. = She is working. = Ona radi.
It swims. = It is swimming. = Ono pliva.
We sleep. = We are sleeping. = Mi spavamo.
You (pl, for) study. = You are studying. = Vi učite.
They drive. = They are driving. = Oni voze.
# Only the suffix for they can be different, all the other ones are always the same.
I am running. = Trčim.
# Because every person has a different ending, we really like omitting the pronoun, so we don’t say I, you, he, and so on, we just say – “I am running. = Trčim.“
I am lying down. = Ležim.
I am eating. = Jedem.
I am drinking. = Pijem.
I am writing. = Pišem.
I am listening. = Slušam.
I am crying. = Plačem.
I am watching. = Gledam.
You are eating. = Jedeš.
He is eating. = Jede.
She is eating. = Jede.
Marko is eating. = Marko jede.
They are eating. = Jedu.
We are cooking. = Kuvamo.
They are cooking. = Kuvaju.
You are drinking. = Pijete.
I am sitting. = Sedim.
You are sitting. = Sediš.
They are sitting. = Sede.
# These are all three possible forms for the “they” form:
u → jedu – they eat
ju → kuvaju – they cook
e → sede – they sit
How do you know which suffix to use for the “they form” (the third person plural)?
1) I eat – jedem
the stem – jede
If the stem ends in -e, the “they” suffix is -u
they eat – jedu
2) I cook – kuvam
the stem – kuva
If the stem ends in -a, the “they” suffix is -ju
the cook – kuvaju
3) I sit – sedim
the stem – sedi
If the stem ends in -i, the “they” suffix is -e
they sit – sede
Ana is already sleeping. = Ana već spava.
I am already watching. = Ja već gledam.
I am still eating. = Ja još jedem.
They are still listening. = Oni još slušaju.
You are still cooking. = Ti još uvek kuvaš.
She is still writing. = Ona još uvek piše.