Infinitives as Objects and Subjects
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Infinitives in Croatian end in -ti or -ći and can act as the subject or the object of a sentence.
- As a subject, the infinitive starts the sentence: 'Učiti je važno' (To study is important).
- As an object, it follows verbs like 'željeti' or 'moći': 'Želim spavati' (I want to sleep).
- In negative sentences, place 'ne' directly before the infinitive: 'Ne pušiti' (Not to smoke).
Meanings
The infinitive is the basic form of a verb. In Croatian, it functions as a subject when describing an action as a concept, or as an object when it completes the meaning of another verb.
Logical Subject
The infinitive acts as the 'thing' the sentence is about, usually paired with the verb 'biti' (to be).
“Lagati nije lijepo.”
“Trčati ujutro je zdravo.”
Complementary Object
The infinitive follows modal verbs (can, must, should) or verbs of desire and intent.
“Moram ići kući.”
“Planiramo posjetiti Split.”
Infinitive of Purpose
Used after verbs of motion to indicate the goal of the movement.
“Idem spavati.”
“Došao sam vas vidjeti.”
Infinitive Endings and Functions
| Ending | Verb Example | Function | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ti | Raditi | Subject/Object | To work |
| -ći | Ići | Subject/Object | To go |
| -ti (short) | Radit (ću) | Future I | Will work |
| Ne + -ti | Ne raditi | Negative Subject | Not to work |
| -ti + je | Raditi je... | Subject | Working is... |
The 'Krnji' (Truncated) Infinitive
| Full Form | Short Form | Usage Context |
|---|---|---|
| Pjevati | Pjevat | Future I (Pjevat ću) |
| Pisati | Pisat | Future I (Pisat ću) |
| Gledati | Gledat | Future I (Gledat ću) |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative Subject | Infinitive + je + Adjective | Trčati je zabavno. |
| Negative Subject | Ne + Infinitive + je + Adjective | Ne spavati je loše. |
| Affirmative Object | Conjugated Verb + Infinitive | Želim učiti. |
| Negative Object | Ne + Conjugated Verb + Infinitive | Ne želim učiti. |
| Question (Subject) | Je li + Adjective + Infinitive? | Je li zdravo vježbati? |
| Question (Object) | Da li + Conjugated Verb + Infinitive? | Da li možeš doći? |
| Purpose | Verb of Motion + Infinitive | Idem kupiti kruh. |
| Impersonal | Potrebno je + Infinitive | Potrebno je raditi. |
طیف رسمیت
Pušenje je strogo zabranjeno. (Public regulation)
Pušiti je zabranjeno. (Public regulation)
Nema pušenja. (Public regulation)
Ne pali tu! (Public regulation)
The Dual Life of the Infinitive
As Subject
- Pušiti je zabranjeno To smoke is forbidden
- Učiti je važno To study is important
As Object
- Želim jesti I want to eat
- Moram ići I must go
Infinitive vs. Verbal Noun
Should I use the Infinitive?
Is it the subject?
Is it after a modal verb?
Common Verbs taking Infinitive Objects
Modals
- • moći
- • morati
- • trebati
- • smjeti
Desire
- • željeti
- • voljeti
- • htjeti
Phases
- • početi
- • prestati
- • nastaviti
مثالها بر اساس سطح
Želim spavati.
I want to sleep.
Mogu pjevati.
I can sing.
Moram raditi.
I must work.
Voliš li plesati?
Do you like to dance?
Plivati je zdravo.
To swim is healthy.
Počeo sam čitati knjigu.
I started to read a book.
Zaboravio sam ključ uzeti.
I forgot to take the key.
Ne pušiti ovdje.
Do not smoke here.
Teško je naučiti hrvatski.
It is difficult to learn Croatian.
Planiramo putovati u Europu.
We plan to travel to Europe.
Prestati pušiti je teško.
To stop smoking is difficult.
Odlučio je kupiti novi auto.
He decided to buy a new car.
Bilo bi dobro više vježbati.
It would be good to exercise more.
Nije moguće sve znati.
It is not possible to know everything.
Pokušavam razumjeti tvoju situaciju.
I am trying to understand your situation.
Zabranjeno je ulaziti bez maske.
It is forbidden to enter without a mask.
Vidjeti Rim i umrijeti.
To see Rome and die.
Nije mu bilo suđeno pobijediti.
He was not destined to win.
Dovoljno je reći da smo uspjeli.
It is enough to say that we succeeded.
Vrijedi li uopće pokušavati?
Is it even worth trying?
Biti ili ne biti, to je pitanje.
To be or not to be, that is the question.
Uzalud je bilo govoriti mu istinu.
It was in vain to tell him the truth.
Samo je trebalo šutjeti.
One only needed to remain silent.
Valja nam ići dalje.
We must go further.
بهراحتی اشتباه گرفته میشود
Learners don't know which one is 'more correct'. Both are correct, but they carry different regional and formal weights.
Using '-nje' (učenje) instead of '-ti' (učiti).
Learners drop the 'i' in all contexts.
اشتباهات رایج
Ja želim radim.
Ja želim raditi.
Mogu ja pjevam.
Mogu pjevati.
Volim plivanje.
Volim plivati.
Moram ide.
Moram ići.
Plivati je dobar.
Plivati je dobro.
Ne pušenje.
Ne pušiti.
Zaboravio sam kupim.
Zaboravio sam kupiti.
Planiram za putovati.
Planiram putovati.
Učiti hrvatski je važna.
Učiti hrvatski je važno.
Počeo sam radit.
Počeo sam raditi.
Bilo je uzaludno pokušavanje.
Bilo je uzaludno pokušavati.
الگوهای جملهسازی
___ je jako zdravo.
Ne smiješ ___ ovdje.
Moj plan je ___ hrvatski do kraja godine.
Teško je ___ kad je vani buka.
Real World Usage
Želim naučiti nove vještine.
Zabranjeno parkirati.
Morate više vježbati.
Voljeti je lako.
Peći 20 minuta.
Planiramo posjetiti Dubrovnik.
The Neuter Rule
No 'Za' Needed
Regional Flavor
Dictionary Form
Smart Tips
The second verb should almost always be in the infinitive form.
Use the -ti form and make sure your adjective ends in -o.
Prefer the infinitive over 'da + present' to sound more professional.
Use the infinitive to show why you are going somewhere.
تلفظ
The -ti ending
The 'i' is short and clear. Do not swallow it unless you are speaking very casually or using Future I.
Accent on Infinitives
Most infinitives have the accent on the first or second syllable. It never falls on the -ti ending.
Subject Infinitive
Učiti ↗ je važno ↘
Rising pitch on the infinitive subject, falling on the adjective.
حفظ کنید
روش یادسپاری
Remember 'TI' as 'The Idea' — when you use the -ti form, you are talking about the idea of the action.
تداعی تصویری
Imagine a verb wearing a crown (Subject) or being carried in a basket (Object). The crown/basket is the -ti ending that protects it from being conjugated.
Rhyme
Kad je subjekt na početku ti, infinitiv moraš koristiti!
Story
A traveler named 'Infinitive' always carries a suitcase labeled '-ti'. Whether he is the leader of the group (Subject) or following a friend (Object), he never changes his clothes.
شبکه واژگان
چالش
Write 3 things you 'must' do today and 3 things that are 'healthy' to do, using only infinitives.
نکات فرهنگی
Standard Croatian prefers the infinitive in formal writing and news reporting to maintain objectivity.
In coastal regions, you will almost never hear the infinitive as an object; they prefer 'da + present'.
Croatian signs are very direct. They use the infinitive without 'is' or 'are'.
The Croatian infinitive originates from the Proto-Indo-European verbal noun in the dative or locative case.
شروعکنندههای مکالمه
Što voliš raditi u slobodno vrijeme?
Je li teško naučiti tvoj materinski jezik?
Što planiraš raditi sljedeće ljeto?
Misliš li da je važno rano ustajati?
موضوعات نگارش
Test Yourself
Danas moram ___ cijeli dan.
___ je zdravo.
Find and fix the mistake:
Pušiti je zabranjen.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
I plan to travel.
Answer starts with: Pla...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: Što želiš raditi? B: Želim ___.
'Učiti je naporno.'
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesDanas moram ___ cijeli dan.
___ je zdravo.
Find and fix the mistake:
Pušiti je zabranjen.
naučiti / hrvatski / je / teško / .
I plan to travel.
1. Želim... 2. Pušiti je... 3. Idem...
A: Što želiš raditi? B: Želim ___.
'Učiti je naporno.'
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
Yes, in most cases you can, especially in spoken language. 'Želim spavati' and 'Želim da spavam' are both understood, but the infinitive is more standard in Croatia.
These are irregular verbs like `ići` (to go) or `moći` (to be able to). There are only a few of them, but they are very common. They function exactly like -ti verbs.
Both are correct. 'Pušenje' (verbal noun) is slightly more formal, while 'Pušiti' (infinitive) is more direct. You will see both on signs.
No! The infinitive never changes. Only the main verb (like 'željeti' or 'morati') changes to match the person.
It is the 'truncated' infinitive where the final 'i' is dropped (e.g., `radit`). This is only used in the Future I tense when the auxiliary follows the verb.
Yes. For example: `Je li teško učiti?` (Is it hard to study?). Here, `učiti` is the subject.
Put `ne` right before it: `Ne raditi ništa je najgore.` (To do nothing is the worst.)
Yes, but be careful. In standard Croatian, `trebati` is often used impersonally: `Treba raditi` (One needs to work).
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
To-infinitive or Gerund (-ing)
Croatian doesn't have a direct equivalent to the '-ing' gerund used as a subject.
Infinitivo
Spanish often adds the article 'El' (El fumar), which Croatian never does.
Infinitiv mit zu
Croatian infinitives stand alone without particles.
Verb + koto / no
Croatian verbs have a dedicated 'noun-like' form (infinitive) built-in.
Masdar (Verbal Noun)
Arabic Masdars are true nouns; Croatian infinitives are still verbs.
Verb (no change)
Croatian requires the specific -ti/-ći ending to be an infinitive.
