A1 Collocation Neutral

Imati vremena

imati vremena

To have time

Bedeutung

Being free to do something.

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Kultureller Hintergrund

In Serbia, 'imati vremena' is a prerequisite for friendship. If you don't have time for a 2-hour coffee, you are seen as 'u gužvi' (in a crowd/busy), which is a state people try to avoid. Even in business, meetings often start with small talk to show that the parties 'have time' for each other as humans, not just as business entities. The phrase is deeply tied to 'polako' (slowly). Saying you have time is a way of rejecting the stress of modern life. In rural areas, 'imati vremena' often refers to the seasons and agricultural tasks, whereas in Belgrade, it's about traffic and office hours.

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The 'Nemam' Rule

Never say 'ne imam'. It is the most obvious sign of a beginner. Always use 'nemam'.

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The Soft No

If a Serbian says 'Videću da li imam vremena', it's often a polite 'maybe' or a soft 'no'.

Bedeutung

Being free to do something.

🎯

The 'Nemam' Rule

Never say 'ne imam'. It is the most obvious sign of a beginner. Always use 'nemam'.

💬

The Soft No

If a Serbian says 'Videću da li imam vremena', it's often a polite 'maybe' or a soft 'no'.

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Vreme vs Sat

Remember: Vreme is the concept, Sat is the tool/hour. Don't mix them up!

Teste dich selbst

Fill in the correct form of 'imati' (negative or positive).

Izvini, ja ______ vremena danas, veoma sam zauzet.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: nemam

The context 'veoma sam zauzet' (I am very busy) requires the negative form 'nemam'.

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Select the correct way to ask a friend for coffee.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Da li imaš vremena za kafu?

The noun must be in the genitive 'vremena' and the verb must be 'imati'.

Match the Serbian phrase with its English meaning.

Match the following:

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Imam vremena - I have time; Nemam vremena - I don't have time; Naći ću vremena - I will find time; Gubim vreme - I am wasting time

These are the four most common variations of the phrase.

Complete the dialogue.

A: Hoćeš li u bioskop? B: Rado, ali stvarno ______ (I don't have) vremena.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: nemam

The phrase 'nemam vremena' is the standard way to decline an invitation due to a busy schedule.

🎉 Ergebnis: /4

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Positive vs Negative

Imam Vremena
Slobodan sam I am free
Nemam Vremena
Zauzet sam I am busy

Aufgabensammlung

4 Aufgaben
Fill in the correct form of 'imati' (negative or positive). Fill Blank A1

Izvini, ja ______ vremena danas, veoma sam zauzet.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: nemam

The context 'veoma sam zauzet' (I am very busy) requires the negative form 'nemam'.

Which sentence is grammatically correct? Choose A1

Select the correct way to ask a friend for coffee.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Da li imaš vremena za kafu?

The noun must be in the genitive 'vremena' and the verb must be 'imati'.

Match the Serbian phrase with its English meaning. Match A2

Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Imam vremena - I have time; Nemam vremena - I don't have time; Naći ću vremena - I will find time; Gubim vreme - I am wasting time

These are the four most common variations of the phrase.

Complete the dialogue. dialogue_completion A1

A: Hoćeš li u bioskop? B: Rado, ali stvarno ______ (I don't have) vremena.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: nemam

The phrase 'nemam vremena' is the standard way to decline an invitation due to a busy schedule.

🎉 Ergebnis: /4

Häufig gestellte Fragen

10 Fragen

Technically no. In Serbian, we use the genitive 'vremena' because you have 'some' of the time, not the entire concept of time.

You can say 'Nemam vremena' or 'Zauzet sam' (I am occupied).

It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.

No, it also means 'weather'. But in this phrase, it always means 'time'.

Use 'Imaš li minut?' or 'Imaš li trenutak?'.

Imao sam vremena (masculine) or Imala sam vremena (feminine).

Yes, 'Imam vremena do pet sati' (I have time until 5 o'clock).

It can be if said too quickly. Add 'izvini' (sorry) to make it softer.

There isn't a direct slang word for 'time', but 'bleja' is used for free time to hang out.

Use 'Stvoriću vreme' (I will create time) or 'Naći ću vremena'.

Verwandte Redewendungen

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Naći vremena

similar

To find time

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Gubiti vreme

contrast

To waste time

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Slobodno vreme

builds on

Free time

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Uštedeti vreme

similar

To save time

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Isteklo je vreme

contrast

Time is up

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