While some languages rarely think twice about verbs, Croatian verbs add a fun twist by changing their endings based on the subject. This is a key feature of Croatian verb conjugation and is very important if you want to speak correctly.
You’ll soon learn that the verbs follow very predictable patterns and that they are all pretty straightforward! Read on for practical tips on the basics of Croatian verb forms.
Table Of Contents
What’s Croatian Verb Conjugation?
First, let’s explain what verb conjugation even is. For English speakers, this can be a bit confusing. In English, the verb usually stays the same in the present tense. The only time it changes is when the subject is he, she, or it:
- I see
- You see
- He/She/It sees
- We see
- You see
- They see
In Croatian, this is different. Notice how each verb below changes the ending according to the subject in the sentence? That is what we call verb conjugation!
- I work – Ja radim
- You work – Ti radiš
- He/She/It works – On/Ona/Ono radi
- We work – Mi radimo
- You work – Vi radite
- They work – Oni/One/Ono trade
Conjugation Of Present Tense Verbs
To learn Croatian verb conjugation, we must first learn how to find the base form of a verb in the present tense. Usually, you only need to remove the ending –ti from the infinitive form. For example, the verb raditi (to work) becomes radi. This doesn’t apply to all verbs, as there are some exceptions. Once you have the base, add the correct present tense endings to match the subject! Easy right?
In Croatian, there are actually three groups of verbs in the present tense, based on how we conjugate them. In the first person singular (I form), these groups end in -am, -em, and -im. Let’s take a look at each group individually.
Verbs With The -am Ending
Let’s start with the -am verbs. Remember, the -am ending only appears in the first person singular (the I form). For other forms, the endings will be different. For the example, we’ll use the verb ”to sing” (pjevati). Imagine pjeva as the base of the verb.
| English | Croatian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I sing | Ja pjevam | |
| You sing | Ti pjevaš | |
| He/She/It sings | On/Ona/Ono pjeva | |
| We sing | Mi pjevamo | |
| You (plural/formal) sing | Vi pjevate | |
| They sing | Oni/One pjevaju |
Verb With The -em Ending
Next up are the -em verbs. Again, the -em ending is used only in the first person singular (the I form). Other forms will have different endings. For this group, let’s use the verb ”to write” (pisati). Imagine piš as the base of the verb.
| English | Croatian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I write | Ja pišem | |
| You write | Ti pišeš | |
| He/She/It writes | On/Ona/Ono piše | |
| We write | Mi pišemo | |
| You (plural/formal) write | Vi pišete | |
| They write | Oni/One/Ona pišu |
In this case, we didn’t just remove the –ti ending because there are always going to be some exceptions. During conjugation of the verb pisati, the s changes to š. This happens because š sounds softer and is easier to say. In the Croatian alphabet, š is a letter that sounds like “sh” in English, so it helps the word sound better.
Verbs With The -im Ending
Now, let’s look at the –im verbs. The –im ending only appears in the first person singular (the I form). For the other forms, the endings will be different. For the example, we’ll use the verb ”to see” (vidjeti). Imagine vid as the base of the verb.
| English | Croatian | Pronunciaton |
|---|---|---|
| I see | Ja vidim | |
| You see | Ti vidiš | |
| He/She/It sees | On/Ona/Ono vidi | |
| We see | Mi vidimo | |
| You (plural/formal) see | Vi vidite | |
| They see | Oni/One/Ona vide |
Most Common Irregular Verbs
In Croatian, the verbs ”to be” (biti) and ”to want” (htjeti) are very important. They come up often in every day conversations.
The verb biti (to be) is the most common and important in any language. Here’s how you conjugate it in Croatian:
| English | Croatian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I am | Ja sam | |
| You are | Ti si | |
| He/She/It is | On/Ona/Ono je | |
| We are | Mi smo | |
| You (plural/formal) are | Vi ste | |
| They are | Oni/One/Ona su |
This will help you out with making the past tense. A detailed explanation can be found below in this post!
The other useful verb that you will need is ”to want” (htjeti). This verb is used in the future tense when you’re talking about plans. It’s the key verb expressing what you will do and what you want to do. Here’s how you conjugate htjeti in the present tense:
| English | Croatian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I will | Ja ću | |
| You will | Ti ćeš | |
| He/She/It will | On/Ona/Ono će | |
| We will | Mi ćemo | |
| You (plural/formal) will | Vi ćete | |
| They will | Oni/One/Ona će |
So, to form the future tense, you’ll be using the conjugation of the verb htjeti and the infinitive form. Here are some examples:
- I will work – Ja ću raditi
- He will study – On će učiti
- We will travel – Mi ćemo putovati
- They will sleep – Oni će spavati
Conjugation Of Past Tense Verbs
To build the past tense, you will need to learn the present tense of the verb ”to be” (biti) and the past participle. We’ve already learned how to conjugate the verb ”to be”.
To build the past participle, you have to remove the –ti from the infinitive and add the right ending. The ending depends on the gender and number of the subject. Let’s use the verb ”to write” (pisati) as an example:
Simple Tips For Beginners
Getting a lot of new information when trying to learn a new language can seem overwhelming sometimes. Below are some key tips to remember when learning Croatian verb conjugation.
1. Memorise Key Endings
Notice that there is a consistency in the endings. These endings apply to almost all Croatian verbs:
- -m (I)
- -š (you sg.)
- -/ (he/she/it)
- -mo (we)
- -te (you pl.)
- -aju, -e, -u (they, depending on the verb)
2. Practice Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs mean that more changes happen to the verb when we conjugate it. These are verbs like ”to be” (biti), ”to want” (htjeti), ”to be able” (moći), and ”to go” (ići). Here’s how you conjugate the verb ići:
- I go – Ja idem
- You go – Ti ideš
- He/She/It goes – On/Ona/Ono ide
- We go – Mi idemo
- You go – Vi idete
- They go – Oni/One/Ona idu
3. Skip Pronouns
In this Croatian grammar lesson, we always use pronouns to make it easier for beginners to grasp. However, in natural conversation, there’s no need to use them because we already know who’s doing the action based on the ending of the verb. So you don’t need to say ja idem, you can just say idem (unless you’re trying to emphasise, that it’s you who’s going).
4. Practice Regularly
Write the verbs in sentences for each pronoun to build confidence. At the beginning you may also use a cheatsheet and create a small table with ending and common verbs that you can refer to while practicing.
5. Take Croatian Language Lessons Online
Learning a new language can be exciting, especially when you swap dull textbooks for something more engaging. A Croatian beginner language app is a fantastic way to stay consistent, offering bite-sized lessons and fun, interactive features that make the process feel more like a game than a chore. If you’re just starting with Croatian, the Ling app is an excellent choice to kick off your journey. Why not give it a try today and see how much fun learning can be?
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Many Verb Tenses Are There In Croatian?
Croatian has seven tenses, but we only use the present, past, perfect, and future regularly. The others are rarely used in spoken Croatian.
2. What Are Modal Verbs In Croatian?
Modal verbs in Croatian show what you can, must, want, or need to do. They are used with another verb in its base form. Common ones include morati (must), smjeti (can), željeti (want), and trebati (need). For example:
- I have to study – Moram učiti
3. What Is The Imperfect Tense In Croatian?
The imperfect tense in Croatian describes actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past. It’s not commonly used in modern Croatian but can appear in older texts, stories, or poetry. The conjugation of the verbs in the imperfect tense is not the same as in the regular past tense.
It’s All About The Endings!
Today, we learned about Croatian verb conjugation. Simply put, this means that Croatian verbs change based on who is doing the action. It’s very important to remember this if you want to speak correctly!
We’ve covered the endings in the present tense and some important irregular verbs, and we also learned a bit about how Croatian tenses work! To help yourself learn, remember to practice regularly, and soon, you’ll begin to notice how the endings start to seem natural to you.
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