Understanding the Hrvatski Perfect Tense
The perfect tense in Hrvatski, also known as 'perfekt', is used to talk about actions that have been completed in the past. It helps us show that something happened before now.
Important Points
- The verb 'biti' is conjugated in the present tense.
- The main verb is used in its past participle form.
- The past participle often ends in '-ao' for masculine, '-la' for feminine, and '-lo' for neuter.
Examples
- Ja sam učio hrvatski. (I have studied Croatian.)
- Ona je jela jabuku. (She has eaten an apple.)
- Mi smo gledali film. (We have watched a movie.)
Let's break it down: to form the perfect tense, first choose the correct form of 'biti'. Then, take the main verb and change it to its past participle form. Put them together, and you have your perfect tense!
Examples
- Ti si pisao pismo. (You have written a letter.)
- Oni su igrali nogomet. (They have played soccer.)
- Ja sam vidjela psa. (I have seen a dog.)
The perfect tense is very useful when you want to tell someone about things you have done. It's like showing off your past adventures!