Language/Bosnian/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have

Bosnian Grammar - How to Use "Have"

Hi Bosnian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be discussing how to use the verb "have" in Bosnian. We will explore the different ways you can use the verb in different contexts and understand how it varies from how it is used in English. Let's get started!

Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Pronouns & Verbs and Conjugation.

Basic Usage

The verb "have" in Bosnian can be translated as "imati". It is most commonly used to indicate possession. Let's look at a few examples:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
Imam kuću	EE-mam KOO-chu	I have a house
Ona ima novac	OH-na EE-ma NO-vats	She has money
Imamo auto	EE-ma-mo OW-to	We have a car
Imaju mačku	EE-ma-yu MAH-ch-koo	They have a cat

Note that in Bosnian, the verb "imati" is used with pronouns to describe possession.

Expressing Obligation

The verb "have" can also be used to express obligation in Bosnian.

To indicate that something must be done, we use the auxiliary verb "trebati" in combination with the main verb "imati". For example:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
Trebaš imati vizu	TRE-bash EE-ma-tee VEE-zoo	You have to have a visa
Trebamo imati dozvolu	TRE-ba-mo EE-ma-tee doz-VO-loo	We have to have a permit
Trebate imati pasoš	TRE-ba-te EE-ma-tee PAH-sosh	You have to have a passport

Note that in the above examples, we used the verbs "trebati" and "imati" together to express the idea of obligation.

Expressing Completeness

In Bosnian, "have" can also be used to express completeness of an action.

For example, instead of saying "I have eaten my breakfast," you can simply say "I ate my breakfast". However, sometimes it is more precise to use the form "to have eaten". In this case, we use the verb "jesti" (to eat) and the auxiliary verb "biti" (to be) in combination with "imati".

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
Ja sam jutros doručkovao	Ya sam YOO-tros do-roo-ch-ko-VAO	I had breakfast this morning
Oni su već ručali	O-nee soo već ROO-cha-lee	They have already had lunch

Negation

To negate the verb "have" in Bosnian, we use the word "nemati" instead of "imati". Here are a few examples:

Bosnian	Pronunciation	English
Nemam stan	NE-mam stan	I don't have an apartment
Nema novca	NE-ma NO-vats	There is no money
Nemamo vremena	NE-ma-mo VRE-me-na	We don't have time
Nemate pravo	NE-ma-te PRA-vo	You don't have the right

Dialogue

Here is an example of a conversation that includes the verb "imati" in Bosnian:

• Person 1: Imam jedan problem. (I have a problem)
• Person 2: Šta se dogodilo? (What happened?)
• Person 1: Nemam dovoljno novca. (I don't have enough money)
• Person 2: Možda ti mogu pomoći. (Maybe I can help you)

Conclusion

In conclusion, the verb "have" in Bosnian can be translated as "imati". It can be used to express possession, obligation, completeness, and negation. To improve your Bosnian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: Plurals & Nouns.

Other Lessons

• Negation
• Pronouns
• Questions
• Gender
• Future Tense
• Plurals
• How to Use Be
• Give your Opinion
• Adjectives
• Conditional Mood

Sources

• Bosnian language - Wikipedia
• Bosnian Grammar - How to Use "Have"
• Everything You Need to Know About Bosnian Grammar | BLEND