osnove

Osnove is a plural noun used in several South Slavic languages, including Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian, to denote the fundamentals, bases, or foundational elements of a subject, system, or process. The term derives from the singular osnova, meaning basis or foundation, and is widely used to refer to essential principles that form the groundwork for more advanced study or practice.

In educational contexts, osnove are the introductory concepts that learners are expected to grasp before tackling more complex material. Common phrases include osnove matematike (basics of mathematics), osnove programiranja (basics of programming), and osnove jezika (foundations of a language). The expression “učiti osnove” or “savladati osnove” is used to indicate mastering the fundamental concepts of a discipline.

Beyond education, osnove may appear in discussions of systems, processes, or constructions, where they describe the underlying framework or base components. In architecture or engineering, the term can be used more loosely to refer to foundational elements that support a structure or project.

The word has cognates across Slavic languages and aligns with related terms such as osnova (singular) and temel (foundation). It is a common, neutral term in textbooks, curricula, and technical writing to signal introductory content and core principles.