недостајеш ми
Cyrillic
The English phrase "I miss you" is expressed in Serbian as недостајеш ми or nedostaješ mi.
Meaning: I miss you (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Serbian | Note |
|---|---|
| недостајеш ми | Cyrillic |
| nedostaješ mi | Latin |
This phrase is used to tell someone that you miss them. While English uses "I" as the subject of the sentence, the Serbian construction makes the person being missed the grammatical subject.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase недостајеш ми literally translates to "you are lacking to me". The word nedostaješ is the second-person singular form of the verb nedostajati (to be missing or lacking) and mi is the dative form of "I".
Which one should you use?
In the phrase nedostaješ mi, the person being missed is the subject, which differs from the English structure where "I" is the subject.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form nedostaješ mi is used when speaking to one person whom you address informally. To say "I miss you" to more than one person, or to one person in a formal setting, use nedostajete mi.
Did you know?
- While English uses the verb 'miss' for both people and targets, Serbian uses different words. You would never use nedostajati to say you missed a bus or a deadline.
- The root of the verb nedostajati is tied to the word 'dostat', which relates to 'enough' or 'sufficient' in many Slavic languages.
- In many Balkan songs, the phrase is used to describe an abstract feeling of emptiness, where the person's absence is felt as a physical void.
Examples in context
- Nedostaješ mi.I miss you.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase nedostaješ mi.Tatoeba #3243814 by neron, translation #1308 by brauliobezerra
- Profesore, nedostajete miProfessor, I miss you.
- Dragi prijatelju, nedostaješ miDear friend, I miss you.
- Brate, fališ miBro, I miss you.
- Veoma nedostajete miI miss you very much.
- Svaki dan sve više želim da si tuEvery day I want you to be here more and more.
- Bez tebe mi srce patiWithout you, my heart suffers.
- Ljubavi, nedostaješ mi tako punoMy love, I miss you so much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I miss you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
