Understanding Hrvatski Verb Conjugation
In the Croatian language, verbs are words that describe actions. Just like in English, they change their form to show who is doing the action and when it is happening. This change in form is called conjugation.
Basic Elements of Verb Conjugation
Important Points
- Person: Who is doing the action? (I, you, he, she, we, they)
- Number: Is it one person or more? (singular or plural)
- Tense: When is the action happening? (past, present, future)
In Croatian, regular verbs are grouped into three main categories based on their endings in the infinitive form (the basic form of the verb). These categories are: verbs ending in -ati, -iti, and -jeti.
Let's start with verbs that end in -ati. To conjugate them in the present tense, you remove the -ati and add different endings depending on who is doing the action.
Examples
- Ja radim (I work)
- Ti radiš (You work)
- On/ona radi (He/she works)
For verbs ending in -iti, you follow a similar pattern. Remove the -iti and add the appropriate endings.
Examples
- Ja učim (I learn)
- Ti učiš (You learn)
- On/ona uči (He/she learns)
Verbs ending in -jeti are a bit different. You change the -jeti to -jim, -jiš, -ji, and so on.
Examples
- Ja volim (I love)
- Ti voliš (You love)
- On/ona voli (He/she loves)
The best way to learn these conjugations is to practice. Try using new verbs in sentences and see if you can change them correctly.