A1 · Principiante Capítulo 7

Present Tense: Regular Verb Conjugation

7 Reglas totales
1 min
Reglas en este capítulo Práctica rápida

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Unlock the heartbeat of Croatian by mastering regular verb patterns and everyday actions.

  • Identify the three main conjugation groups.
  • Conjugate common verbs like 'read', 'work', and 'buy'.
  • Express habits and scheduled future plans using the present tense.
From being to doing: start speaking in action.

Lo que aprenderás

Learn how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense across different groups. This chapter unlocks your ability to describe ongoing actions and states.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to conjugate any regular -ati verb in the present tense.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to describe your daily routine using frequency adverbs.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to talk about plans for 'tomorrow' using current tense forms.

Consejos y trucos (4)

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Drop the pronoun

You don't need to say 'Ja' every time. The ending tells us who it is.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Present Tense Endings: -am, -em, -jem
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Drop it!

Always drop the -ati before adding endings.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Conjugation Group 1: Verbs ending in -ati (e.g., čitati)
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Consistency

Group 2 is very regular. Once you learn one, you learn them all.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Conjugation Group 2: Verbs ending in -iti, -jeti (e.g., raditi)
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The -uj- Rule

Always look for the -uj- sound in the present tense of these verbs.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Conjugation Group 3: Verbs ending in -ovati, -ivati (e.g., kupovati)

Vocabulario clave (7)

čitati to read raditi to work/do kupovati to buy ići to go piti to drink svaki dan every day sutra tomorrow

Real-World Preview

coffee

Meeting a Friend for Coffee

Review Summary

  • Stem + -m, -š, -, -mo, -te, -ju/-u
  • -ovati -> -ujem

Errores comunes

English speakers often try to use 'biti' (to be) to form the continuous present. In Croatian, 'Ja radim' means both 'I work' and 'I am working'.

Wrong: Ja radim svaki dan (meaning 'I am working') + Ja sam radim
Correcto: Ja radim.

Applying the -ati plural ending (-ju) to -iti verbs. Group 2 verbs use -e for the 'they' form.

Wrong: Oni radiju
Correcto: Oni rade

Forgetting the 'u' mutation in -ovati verbs. You must change the stem, not just add the ending.

Wrong: Ja kupovam
Correcto: Ja kupujem

Next Steps

You've just conquered the most important part of Croatian grammar! With these verbs, you've opened the door to real conversations. Keep practicing these patterns until they feel like second nature.

Write 5 sentences about what you do every morning.

Record yourself saying 'Sutra idem...' followed by three different places.

Continue to: The Nominative Case: Subjects and Naming

Práctica rápida (10)

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ja čitamam.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ja čitam
Remove extra suffix.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Present Tense Endings: -am, -em, -jem

Conjugate 'čitati' for 'Ja'.

Ja ___ knjigu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: čitam
1st person singular ending is -am.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Conjugation Group 1: Verbs ending in -ati (e.g., čitati)

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Mi čita knjigu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Mi čitamo knjigu.
Mi requires -amo.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Conjugation Group 1: Verbs ending in -ati (e.g., čitati)

Select the correct form for 'Oni'.

Oni ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: rade
3rd person plural is -e.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Conjugation Group 2: Verbs ending in -iti, -jeti (e.g., raditi)

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ja sam radim.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ja radim
No 'sam' in present.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using Present Tense for Habits and General Truths

Conjugate 'raditi' for 'Ja'.

Ja ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: radim
1st person singular is -im.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Conjugation Group 2: Verbs ending in -iti, -jeti (e.g., raditi)

Fill in the correct form of 'kupovati'.

Ja ___ kruh.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kupujem
The correct form is kupujem.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Conjugation Group 3: Verbs ending in -ovati, -ivati (e.g., kupovati)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which sentence is correct for a future plan?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Sutra idem u školu.
Includes time marker and correct preposition.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Present Tense for Future Actions (with time expressions)

Conjugate 'raditi' for 'Ja'.

Ja ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: radim
1st person singular.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using Present Tense for Habits and General Truths

Fill in the correct form of 'ići'.

Ja ___ u školu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: idem
1st person singular is 'idem'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Irregular Present Tense Verbs (e.g., ići, htjeti)

Score: /10

Preguntas frecuentes (6)

The verb ending already contains the information about the subject.
Look at the infinitive ending: -ati, -eti, -iti, -ovati.
It is the infinitive marker. Removing it gives you the stem.
Yes, it is very common.
They are part of the same conjugation group as -iti verbs.
Look for the -iti or -jeti ending.
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Personal Pronouns and the Verb 'To Be' (Biti)
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