Language/Croatian/Grammar/Present-Tense-of-Regular-Verbs
As a Croatian language teacher, I have taught the present tense of regular verbs to many students over the years. In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense in Croatian, understand the different verb endings for each person, and practice using them in sentences. This lesson is part of the larger course titled "Complete 0 to A1 Croatian Course" and is suitable for complete beginners.
What is the present tense?
The present tense is a verb form used to describe actions that are happening at the moment of speaking or are regularly occurring in the present. In Croatian, the present tense can also be used to describe future actions or to express general truths.
How to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense
To form the present tense of regular verbs in Croatian, you need to add different endings to the stem of the verb. The endings vary depending on the person (first, second or third) and the gender (masculine, feminine or neuter) of the subject.
Verb endings for masculine and neuter nouns
- First person singular (ja) - -am (for masculine nouns) or -em (for neuter nouns)
- Second person singular (ti) - -aš (for masculine nouns) or -eš (for neuter nouns)
- Third person singular (on/ona/ono) - -a (for masculine nouns) or -e (for neuter nouns)
- First person plural (mi) - -amo (for both masculine and neuter nouns)
- Second person plural (vi) - -ate (for both masculine and neuter nouns)
- Third person plural (oni/one/ona) - -aju (for both masculine and neuter nouns)
Verb endings for feminine nouns
- First person singular (ja) - -am
- Second person singular (ti) - -aš
- Third person singular (ona) - -a
- First person plural (mi) - -amo
- Second person plural (vi) - -ate
- Third person plural (one) - -aju
Examples
Here are some examples of regular verbs in the present tense conjugated for different persons and genders.
Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Ja radim | Yah RAH-deem | I work |
Ti čitaš | Tee CHEE-tash | You read |
On gleda | On GLEH-da | He watches |
Mi pišemo | Mee PEE-she-mo | We write |
Vi govorite | Vee GOH-vo-ree-te | You speak |
One pjevaju | OH-neh PYEH-va-yoo | They sing |
In Croatian, the verb always comes at the second position in the sentence, right after the subject. For example:
- Ja pijem kavu. (I am drinking coffee.)
- Ona čita knjigu. (She is reading a book.)
Practice
Now that you know how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense, it's time to practice using them in simple sentences. Here are some examples:
- Ja čitam novine. (I am reading the newspaper.)
- Ti radiš u uredu. (You are working in the office.)
- Ona voli plesati. (She likes to dance.)
- Mi kuhamo ručak. (We are cooking lunch.)
- Vi gledate televiziju. (You are watching TV.)
- One pjevaju pjesmu. (They are singing a song.)
Try to make your own sentences using regular verbs in the present tense. You can use a dictionary or an online translator to find new vocabulary and verbs.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you have learned how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense in Croatian. Remember to pay attention to the different verb endings for each person and gender, and practice using them in simple sentences. In the next lesson, you will learn about the present tense of irregular verbs. Keep up the good work!
Videos
Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Grammar: The Present Tense Singular ...
Learn Croatian - Present tense verbs #2 - YouTube
Learn Croatian - Present tense verbs #3 - YouTube
Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Grammar: The Present Tense Plural ...