istinu

Istinu is a word form found in several South Slavic languages, notably Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian, where it functions as the accusative singular of the noun istina, meaning truth. The base noun istina derives from Proto-Slavic and has cognates across the Slavic language family, such as the Russian istina, with related forms appearing in various case endings.

In Serbo-Croatian languages, istinu is commonly used with verbs of speaking and telling. Typical constructions include reći istinu (to tell the truth) and moram reći istinu (I must tell the truth). The form is also encountered in other verbal contexts that require the accusative object, and it can appear in both everyday speech and more emphatic or literary styles where the truth is being emphasized.

Cross-linguistic note: in Russian and other Cyrillic-script languages, the equivalent form истину (istinu) serves the same grammatical purpose as the accusative singular of istina, used in phrases such as skazat istinu (to tell the truth). The exact pronunciation and spelling vary by language, but the underlying meaning—truth as a direct object of discourse—remains consistent.

Usage notes: istinu is not a separate concept in English; rather, it is a grammatical form of the word for truth. Its appearance signals the syntactic role of “truth” as the object of a verb or preposition in sentences across these languages, and it can be found in both colloquial and formal contexts.

See also: Istina; Truth (concept); Serbian language; Croatian language; Russian language.