Full Conjugation of 'Biti' (To Be)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The verb 'biti' is the foundation of Croatian; use it to describe states, identities, and locations.
- Use long forms for emphasis or at the start of a sentence: 'Ja sam student.'
- Use short forms (enclitics) in standard sentences: 'Student sam.'
- The negative form 'nisam' is a contraction of 'ne' + 'sam'.
Present Tense of 'Biti'
| Person | Short Form | Long Form | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ja (I)
|
sam
|
jesam
|
nisam
|
|
Ti (You)
|
si
|
jesi
|
nisi
|
|
On/Ona/Ono (He/She/It)
|
je
|
jest
|
nije
|
|
Mi (We)
|
smo
|
jesmo
|
nismo
|
|
Vi (You pl.)
|
ste
|
jeste
|
niste
|
|
Oni/One/Ona (They)
|
su
|
jesu
|
nisu
|
Enclitic Usage
| Form | Usage |
|---|---|
|
sam
|
Used after the subject or first word
|
|
si
|
Used after the subject or first word
|
|
je
|
Used after the subject or first word
|
|
smo
|
Used after the subject or first word
|
|
ste
|
Used after the subject or first word
|
|
su
|
Used after the subject or first word
|
Meanings
The verb 'biti' functions as the copula in Croatian, linking a subject to a predicate (identity, state, or location).
Identity/State
Describing who or what someone is.
“Ja sam učitelj.”
“Ona je pametna.”
Location
Describing where someone or something is.
“On je u Zagrebu.”
“Knjiga je na stolu.”
Existence
Stating that something exists.
“Biti ili ne biti.”
“Tu je problem.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Short Form
|
Ja sam ovdje.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + Negative Form
|
Ja nisam ovdje.
|
|
Question
|
Short Form + li + Subject
|
Jesi li ti ovdje?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Short Form
|
Jesam.
|
|
Negative Answer
|
Negative Form
|
Nisam.
|
|
Emphasis
|
Long Form
|
Jesam, ja sam tu.
|
طیف رسمیت
Ja sam student. (Introduction)
Student sam. (Introduction)
Sam student. (Introduction)
Student sam, brate. (Introduction)
The Biti Universe
Identity
- Ja sam student I am a student
Location
- On je u školi He is at school
State
- Mi smo umorni We are tired
مثالها بر اساس سطح
Ja sam Ivan.
I am Ivan.
Gdje si ti?
Where are you?
Ona je sretna.
She is happy.
Mi smo ovdje.
We are here.
Nisam gladan.
I am not hungry.
Jesi li ti umoran?
Are you tired?
Oni nisu kod kuće.
They are not at home.
Vi ste jako ljubazni.
You are very kind.
Ja sam bio u kinu.
I was at the cinema.
Bili smo sretni što smo se vidjeli.
We were happy to see each other.
Nije bilo lako.
It was not easy.
Jesu li oni već stigli?
Have they arrived already?
Bilo bi lijepo da dođeš.
It would be nice if you came.
On je poznat po tome.
He is known for that.
Nije mi jasno zašto.
It is not clear to me why.
Sve je to dio procesa.
It is all part of the process.
Biti ili ne biti, to je pitanje.
To be or not to be, that is the question.
Jest, istina je što kažeš.
Indeed, it is true what you say.
Bilo kako bilo, moramo ići.
Be that as it may, we must go.
Nije da sam ja kriv.
It is not that I am to blame.
Bijahu to sretna vremena.
Those were happy times.
Ne bih bio tako siguran.
I wouldn't be so sure.
Bude li problema, javi mi.
Should there be problems, let me know.
Sve bi to bilo u redu da...
All that would be fine if...
بهراحتی اشتباه گرفته میشود
Both mean existence, but 'biti' is for state/location.
Both mean 'is', but 'jest' is emphatic.
Both mean 'I am'.
اشتباهات رایج
Ja biti student
Ja sam student
On sam sretan
On je sretan
Nisam sretan ti
Ti nisi sretan
Je on tu?
Je li on tu?
Ja jesam gladan
Ja sam gladan
Mi nismo tu
Mi nismo tu
Vi ste umorni
Vi ste umorni
Ja sam radio jučer
Ja sam radio jučer
Biti je lijepo
Lijepo je
Oni su bili išli
Oni su išli
Jest on došao?
Je li on došao?
Bude on došao
Doći će
Nije da sam ja bio
Nije da sam ja
الگوهای جملهسازی
Ja sam ___.
Gdje je ___?
Mi smo ___.
Nisam ___.
Real World Usage
Gdje si? :)
Ja sam visoko motiviran.
Gdje je hotel?
Gdje je moja narudžba?
Ja sam spreman.
Ovdje je hitno!
Drop the pronoun
Enclitic rule
Use 'je' for everything
Casual vs Formal
Smart Tips
Drop the pronoun! It makes you sound more natural.
Keep the verb in the second position.
Use the long form 'jesam'.
Use 'li' for a natural flow.
تلفظ
Vowel length
The 'e' in 'je' is short.
Enclitic placement
They never start a sentence.
Question
Jesi li ti tu? ↑
Rising intonation at the end.
حفظ کنید
روش یادسپاری
Remember the 'S' sounds: Sam, Si, Smo, Ste, Su. Only 'Je' is the odd one out!
تداعی تصویری
Imagine a mirror. When you look at yourself, you say 'Sam'. When you point at a friend, you say 'Si'.
Rhyme
Ja sam, ti si, on je tu, mi smo, vi ste, oni su.
Story
Marko is a student (Marko je student). He is in Zagreb (On je u Zagrebu). He is happy (On je sretan).
شبکه واژگان
چالش
Write 5 sentences about your day using 'biti' in 5 minutes.
نکات فرهنگی
They often drop the 'j' in 'je' and say 'e'.
Standard usage is very common.
Very clear pronunciation of all forms.
Biti comes from Proto-Slavic *byti.
شروعکنندههای مکالمه
Gdje si?
Jesi li umoran?
Tko je on?
Jeste li spremni?
موضوعات نگارش
اشتباهات رایج
Test Yourself
Ja ___ student.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
On sam u Zagrebu.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
They are here.
Answer starts with: Oni...
A: Jesi li gladan? B: ___.
Use: ja, umoran, biti.
Which is a long form?
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesJa ___ student.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
On sam u Zagrebu.
sretni / smo / Mi
They are here.
A: Jesi li gladan? B: ___.
Use: ja, umoran, biti.
Which is a long form?
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
No, you can drop it. 'Sam student' is fine.
Croatian doesn't distinguish gender in the verb form here.
Use it for emphasis or when answering a question.
No, 'biti' is for state/location, 'postojati' is for existence.
It is 'nisam'.
No, it is an enclitic and must follow another word.
Use 'li' after the verb: 'Jesi li ti...'
Yes, especially in Dalmatia where 'je' becomes 'e'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
ser/estar
Croatian does not split 'to be' into two verbs.
être
French requires pronouns; Croatian often drops them.
sein
German uses 'sein' for perfect tense with motion verbs; Croatian uses 'biti' for all perfect tense.
desu/iru/aru
Croatian uses 'biti' for everything.
kāna
Croatian requires the copula in the present tense.
shì
Croatian 'biti' covers both identity and location.
