# Serbian (BCS): Bio/Bilo



## Roxannah_

Hi everyone,
I suppose this is something really basic but it seems I keep confusing both.

Ja sam bio ~ On je bilo. Ok. 
But I have seen both "Juče je *bio* ponedeljak" and "Juče je *bilo* ponedeljak", for example. I don't know if one is correct and the other is wrong, of it they're both correct...?

Thanks.


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## phosphore

Roxannah_ said:


> Hi everyone,
> I suppose this is something really basic but it seems I keep confusing both.
> 
> Ja sam bio  ~ On je bilo.  Ok.
> But I have seen both "Juče je *bio* ponedeljak"  and "Juče je *bilo* ponedeljak",  for example. I don't know if one is correct and the other is wrong, of it they're both correct...?
> 
> Thanks.


 
The form "bio" is masculine, while "bilo" is neuter. Thus a man would say "ja sam bio", a woman would say "ja sam bila" while "ja sam bilo" is hardly imaginable since we all identify as either masculine or feminine but is not strictly grammatically incorrect. Thus "on je bio", "ona je bila" and "ono je bilo".

Now since "ponedeljak" is a masculine noun, only "bio je ponedeljak" is correct. I suppose you were comparing "*it* was monday" or some similiar construction in Portuguese with "bil*o* je ponedeljak", but this is not correct.


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## Roxannah_

Thanks Phosphore, it's becoming more clear now with your explanation.
What if I want to say "It was warm yesterday?" "Juče" is an adverb of time, what conjugation do I use here?


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## phosphore

Then you say "juče je bil*o* topl*o*". I am not sure if this is a proper analysis but you may consider that the neuter noun "vreme" is omitted, which would explain why both the adjective and the verb are neuter.

You can compare it with other expressions: _hladno je_ "it is cold", _toplo je_ "it is warm", _vruće je_ "it is hot", _danas je hladno/toplo/vruće_ "it is cold/warm/hot today", _sutra će biti hladno/toplo/vruće_ "tomorrow is going to be cold/warm/hot".

The problem actually seems to be more complicated. Firstly, the neuter is often used as the default gender when there is no noun for verbs and adjectives to agree with, as may be the case here if we forget about the noun "vreme" being omitted. Secondly, I realised there is a difference in accent when one says _vrûće je_ "the weather is hot", _vrûće mi je_ "I am hot" and _vrúće je_ "this (food, pan) is hot", _vrúće mi je_ "this (food) is (too) hot for me" and that the adjective is _vrûć, vrúća, vrúće_ "hot". I realised also that one can't insert _to_ "this, it" in _vrûće je_ "the weather is hot", but is allowed to do that in _vrúće je_ "this (food, pan) is hot". That seems to suggest that _hladno, toplo, vruće_ when talking about weather are actually adverbs, which gets us back to the neuter as the default gender as adverbs are not otherwise specified for gender.

I hope I didn't make it too complicated.


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## Roxannah_

I would have a tendency to use "bilo" in "juče je bilo toplo" exactly because of that, neuter being the "default" gender. But then I was confused with "juče je bio ponedeljak" as I was inclined to say "bilo" just the same. Of course it makes sense though, since "ponedeljak" is a masculine noun. 

As far as all the other nuances you just refered go, I think it's too soon for me to delve into those waters  Thanks so much Phosphone, all is undestood now.


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## phosphore

You're welcome. 

Maybe some other forum members will provide some other insight into this problem.


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## DenisBiH

> That seems to suggest that _hladno, toplo, vruće_ when talking about weather are actually adverbs, which get us back to the neuter as the default gender as adverbs are not otherwise specified for gender.


I'd agree these are used as adverbs here, and it doesn't have to be about the weather (_bilo mi je *loše*_, _bilo je *sjajno/odlično*_ etc.)

Here's a dialectal/colloquial example where even a feminine noun functioning as an adverb gets the neuter singular _bilo_.

_Bilo mi je zima.


_An off-topic remark - I once knew a non-native BCS speaker who tried to say "Ljeto mi je" thinking that would also work._ 
_


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## TriglavNationalPark

DenisBiH said:


> Here's a dialectal/colloquial example where even a feminine noun functioning as an adverb gets the neuter singular _bilo_.
> 
> _Bilo mi je zima._


 
What does this mean? Is the meaning the same as _Bila je zima _(= it was winter) or does the statement imply that the speaker just _felt_ as if it was winter?


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## phosphore

DenisBiH said:


> I'd agree these are used as adverbs here, and it doesn't have to be about the weather (_bilo mi je *loše*_, _bilo je *sjajno/odlično*_ etc.)
> 
> Here's a dialectal/colloquial example where even a feminine noun functioning as an adverb gets the neuter singular _bilo_.
> 
> _Bilo mi je zima._


 
Right, I didn't have all those in mind, so I only had the accents to think upon. 

"Bilo mi je zima" works really fine in my dialect too as well as "bilo mi je muka". However, "pripalo mi je muka" would not work and I would say "pripala mi je muka" instead.

Google gives 405 results for "bilo mi je muka" compared to 122 for "bila mi je muka", 35 for "pripalo mi je muka" compared to 66 for "pripala mi je muka". It seems that usage has not been fixed yet.



TriglavNationalPark said:


> What does this mean? Is the meaning the same as _Bila je zima _(= it was winter) or does the statement imply that the speaker just _felt_ as if it was winter?


 
The latter. Actually I would not say that "zima mi je" is any stronger than "hladno mi je", so "bilo mi je zima" means just "I was cold".


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## DenisBiH

Yes, for me too in this context _zima_ is pretty much the same as _hladno_. I even know people who use šatrovački _mazija_, but I find that word really odd. 

On the other hand, this is the first time I hear _pripalo/pripala mi je muka_.


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## TriglavNationalPark

phosphore said:


> The latter. Actually I would not say that "zima mi je" is any stronger than "hladno mi je", so "bilo mi je zima" means just "I was cold".


 
Thanks. That reminds me of the Slovenian expression _Zima me je tresla_ (= I had the shivers/chills).


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## DenisBiH

TriglavNationalPark said:


> Thanks. That reminds me of the Slovenian expression _Zima me je tresla_ (= I had the shivers/chills).




I can't say I've heard it before, but I think this could also work in BCS.


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## bibax

> ... while "ja sam bilo" is hardly imaginable since we all identify as either masculine or feminine but is not strictly grammatically incorrect.


It is common in the Czech fairy tales when a being or thing of neuter gender is speaking. For example a mirror (zrcadlo) is hardly masculine or feminine. Similarly the sun (slunce) or a speaking chicken (kuře). Perhaps it works in BCS, too.


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## Roxannah_

bibax said:


> or a speaking chicken (kuře).


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