The Historical Present in Narrative and Journalism
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The Historical Present uses current verb forms to describe past events, making stories feel immediate, dramatic, and alive.
- Use standard present tense endings for past actions, e.g., 'Ulazi on...' instead of 'Ušao je...'.
- Combine with past tenses to highlight the most dramatic turning points in a story.
- Choose perfective verbs for sudden actions and imperfective for ongoing background descriptions.
Standard Present Tense (Used for Historical Context)
| Person | Ending (-ati) | Ending (-iti) | Ending (-jeti) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ja (1st sg)
|
-am
|
-im
|
-im
|
|
Ti (2nd sg)
|
-aš
|
-iš
|
-iš
|
|
On/Ona (3rd sg)
|
-a
|
-i
|
-i
|
|
Mi (1st pl)
|
-amo
|
-imo
|
-imo
|
|
Vi (2nd pl)
|
-ate
|
-ite
|
-ite
|
|
Oni/One (3rd pl)
|
-aju
|
-e
|
-e
|
Common Aspectual Pairs in Narrative
| Imperfective (Background) | Perfective (Action) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
|
gledati
|
pogledati
|
to look
|
|
ulaziti
|
ući
|
to enter
|
|
govoriti
|
reći
|
to say/speak
|
|
uzimati
|
uzeti
|
to take
|
|
padati
|
pasti
|
to fall
|
Meanings
A stylistic device where the present tense is used to recount past events to increase vividness and emotional engagement.
Narrative/Literary
Used in literature to bring the reader closer to the action, often alternating with the perfect tense.
“Gledam ga, a on šuti.”
“Odjednom se otvaraju vrata i ulazi kralj.”
Journalistic/Headline
Used in news headlines and reports to make events feel current and urgent.
“Hrvatska reprezentacija osvaja zlato!”
“Vlada donosi novu odluku.”
Colloquial/Anecdotal
Used in everyday speech when telling jokes or recounting personal stories to friends.
“I onda on meni kaže da nema novca!”
“Šetam ja jučer gradom i sretnem Marka.”
Biographical/Chronological
Used to list historical facts in a timeline format.
“Krleža se rađa u Zagrebu 1893. godine.”
“Nakon rata seli se u Pariz.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Present Verb
|
On ulazi u sobu.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + ne + Present Verb
|
On ne vidi nikoga.
|
|
Interrogative
|
Li / Da li + Present Verb
|
Vidi li on nju?
|
|
With Adverbs
|
Jučer/Tada + Present Verb
|
Tada on shvaća istinu.
|
|
Mixed Tense
|
Perfekt + i + Prezent
|
Vidio je to i odmah zove.
|
|
Biographical
|
Year + Present Verb
|
1950. on seli u Zagreb.
|
|
Dramatic
|
Odjednom + Present Verb
|
Odjednom se gasi svjetlo.
|
|
Headline
|
Noun + Present Verb
|
Hrvatska slavi pobjedu.
|
طيف الرسمية
On stupa u prostoriju i zamjećuje je. (Narrative description)
On ulazi u sobu i vidi je. (Narrative description)
Ulazi on u sobu i vidi nju. (Narrative description)
Uleti on unutra i snimi je. (Narrative description)
The Functions of Historical Present
Literature
- Vividness očiglednost
- Drama dramatičnost
Journalism
- Headlines naslovi
- Urgency hitnost
Speech
- Anecdotes anegdote
- Jokes vicevi
Perfekt vs. Historijski Prezent
Should I use the Historical Present?
Is it a past event?
Do you want to emphasize drama?
Common Verbs in Narrative Present
Movement
- • ulazi
- • odlazi
- • staje
Speech
- • kaže
- • pita
- • odgovara
Perception
- • vidi
- • čuje
- • shvaća
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Jučer on dolazi kod mene.
Yesterday he comes to my place.
On kaže: 'Dobar dan!'
He says: 'Good day!'
Ja ga gledam i šutim.
I look at him and stay silent.
On pije kavu i odlazi.
He drinks coffee and leaves.
Odjednom, pas skače na mene.
Suddenly, the dog jumps on me.
Ja ne znam što da radim.
I don't know what to do.
Ljudi prolaze i ništa ne govore.
People are passing by and saying nothing.
On uzima telefon i zove policiju.
He takes the phone and calls the police.
Godine 1991. Hrvatska proglašava neovisnost.
In 1991, Croatia declares independence.
U tom trenutku shvaćam da sam pogriješio.
At that moment I realize I made a mistake.
On ulazi u dvoranu, a publika plješće.
He enters the hall, and the audience applauds.
Zatvaram oči i čekam što će se dogoditi.
I close my eyes and wait for what will happen.
Dok su svi spavali, on tiho otvara prozor.
While everyone was sleeping, he quietly opens the window.
Glavni junak napušta rodni grad i kreće u nepoznato.
The main hero leaves his hometown and sets off into the unknown.
Vlada sutradan donosi odluku o novim porezima.
The next day, the government makes a decision on new taxes.
On me fiksira pogledom i polako progovara.
He fixes me with a gaze and slowly speaks.
Tada nastupa period duge i teške krize.
Then a period of long and difficult crisis ensues.
Pisac u ovom poglavlju dekonstruira mit o herojstvu.
In this chapter, the writer deconstructs the myth of heroism.
Sve se to događa munjevitom brzinom; nitko ne reagira.
All this happens with lightning speed; no one reacts.
On, dakle, preuzima odgovornost za taj neuspjeh.
He, therefore, assumes responsibility for that failure.
Krleža u 'Povratku Filipa Latinovicza' majstorski koristi ovaj prezent.
Krleža masterfully uses this present in 'The Return of Philip Latinovicz'.
U tom se dahu povijest lomi, a sudbine se nepovratno mijenjaju.
In that breath, history breaks, and destinies change irreversibly.
On biva izgnan, ali se njegova ideja širi poput požara.
He is exiled, but his idea spreads like wildfire.
Scena se otvara turobnim tonom; glavni lik stoji nepomično.
The scene opens with a somber tone; the main character stands motionless.
سهل الخلط
Both use the present tense for non-present times. Gnomic is for eternal truths, Historical is for specific past events.
Sometimes the present is used for the future (Prezent za futur).
Both are used for dramatic past actions.
أخطاء شائعة
Jučer ja sam idem u školu.
Jučer ja idem u školu.
Oni dolazili jučer i piju kavu.
Oni dolaze jučer i piju kavu.
Ja vidim njega sutra.
Ja sam ga vidio jučer.
On kaže da on je bio tamo.
On kaže: 'Bio sam tamo'.
Šetam ja i vidio sam ga.
Šetam ja i vidim ga.
Odjednom on je ulazio.
Odjednom on ulazi.
Jučer on piše pismo cijeli dan.
Jučer on je pisao pismo cijeli dan.
On pije kavu jučer.
On je pio kavu jučer.
Napoleon je izgubio i on bježi.
Napoleon gubi i bježi.
On uđe u sobu.
On ulazi u sobu.
Gledam ga, a on je šutio.
Gledam ga, a on šuti.
On kaže da će doći.
On kaže: 'Doći ću'.
Autor je opisao kako lik pati.
Autor opisuje kako lik pati.
Tada on biva pobjednik.
Tada on postaje pobjednik.
On se rodi 1900.
On se rađa 1900.
On bi rekao da je to istina.
On kaže da je to istina.
أنماط الجُمل
Tada ___ (subject) ___ (present verb) istinu.
Odjednom se ___ (present verb) vrata i ___ (present verb) on.
Godine ___ (year) ___ (subject) ___ (present verb) ___.
Dok ___ (imperfective past), on ___ (perfective present) ___.
Real World Usage
Ulazi Mujo u kafić i kaže...
Hrvatska uvodi euro!
Kralj Tomislav ujedinjuje hrvatska plemena.
On puca, i to je pogodak!
I zamisli, ona meni otvara vrata u pidžami!
U ovom poglavlju pisac koristi prezent kako bi...
The 'Odjednom' Trigger
Avoid the 'Childish' Trap
The 'I onda' Loop
Aspect Matters
Smart Tips
Switch to the present tense at the most important moment (the 'climax').
Use the historical present for a list of achievements to make them feel like ongoing strengths.
Expect the verb to be in the present tense if it's a timeline or a history book.
Always start with the present tense to set the stage.
النطق
Emphasis on the verb
In the historical present, the verb often carries more emotional weight and may be slightly elongated.
Sentence Stress
The stress often falls on the adverb of time (tada, odjednom) to signal the tense shift.
Narrative Arc
On ulazi (rising), vidi je (peak), i staje (falling).
Conveys a sequence of dramatic actions.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
The 'Now' for 'Then' makes the story a 'Ten'.
ربط بصري
Imagine a black-and-white photo of a historical event suddenly turning into a 4K color video. That transformation is what the Historical Present does to a sentence.
Rhyme
When the past is feeling slow, use the present to make it glow.
Story
Imagine you are a reporter at the scene of a crime that happened 100 years ago. You speak into your microphone as if it's happening now: 'The thief climbs the wall, he opens the window...'
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Write 5 sentences about your last birthday using only the present tense. Try to make it sound like a movie script.
ملاحظات ثقافية
The historical present is a staple of the 'Zagreb school' of writers, used to create psychological depth.
In Dalmatia, stories are often told with high drama, where the present tense is used almost exclusively to recount yesterday's events at the market.
Croatian sports commentators are famous for using the present tense to describe historical victories as if they are happening now, fostering national pride.
Inherited from Proto-Indo-European, where the distinction between 'aspect' and 'tense' was more fluid.
بدايات محادثة
Ispričaj mi jedan vic koji počinje s 'Ulazi čovjek u kafić...'
Što se dogodilo na tvojoj zadnjoj rođendanskoj proslavi? Koristi prezent.
Opiši najvažniji trenutak u povijesti tvoje zemlje kao da se događa sada.
Zamisli da si sportski komentator finala Svjetskog prvenstva 2018. Što kažeš?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija ___ (osvojiti) srebrnu medalju u Rusiji.
Šetam ja jučer gradom i odjednom ___ (vidjeti) Marka kako trči.
Find and fix the mistake:
Godine 1945. rat je završio i ljudi slave na ulicama.
Ušao je u sobu i sjeo na stolicu.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
The Historical Present can only be used with imperfective verbs.
A: Što je bilo jučer na kavi? B: Ma ništa, ___ (doći) on i odmah ___ (početi) vikati.
Verbs: pada, uđe, spava, vikne
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesHrvatska nogometna reprezentacija ___ (osvojiti) srebrnu medalju u Rusiji.
Šetam ja jučer gradom i odjednom ___ (vidjeti) Marka kako trči.
Find and fix the mistake:
Godine 1945. rat je završio i ljudi slave na ulicama.
Ušao je u sobu i sjeo na stolicu.
Contexts: 1. Joke, 2. History, 3. Sports
The Historical Present can only be used with imperfective verbs.
A: Što je bilo jučer na kavi? B: Ma ništa, ___ (doći) on i odmah ___ (početi) vikati.
Verbs: pada, uđe, spava, vikne
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
Yes, it is a recognized stylistic figure in Croatian grammar called `historijski prezent`. It is not a mistake.
Yes, especially in the introduction to set a scene or in a biographical section to make the subject's life feel more dynamic.
No, the verb still means the same thing, but its 'time' is understood from the context (e.g., mentioning a date or using 'jučer').
It makes the listener feel like the joke is happening right now, which increases the comedic timing and engagement.
No, that would be the `prezent za futur`. The Historical Present is strictly for events that have already happened.
It is very common in both, but in speech, it's used for anecdotes, while in writing, it's used for drama and headlines.
The Aorist is a dedicated past tense for sudden actions, while the Historical Present uses the present tense form to achieve a similar effect with more 'immediacy'.
Yes, e.g., `Vidio sam ga (Perfekt) i odmah mu prilazim (Prezent)`. This is very common in natural speech.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Presente histórico
Spanish uses it more frequently in formal academic writing than Croatian.
Présent de narration
French has a stricter 'concordance des temps' (sequence of tenses) which can make the shift more complex.
Historisches Präsens
German often uses it to summarize plots of books or movies (Inhaltsangabe).
Tense switching (ta/ru)
In Japanese, this is a standard literary convention rather than a 'dramatic' exception.
Al-Mudari' (Imperfective)
The aspectual nature of Arabic verbs makes this feel more like a 'continuous' past than a 'present' past.
Contextual Tense
The concept of 'shifting' to the present doesn't exist because there is no morphological tense to shift from.
