Language/Bosnian/Grammar/Verbs-and-Conjugation
As a Bosnian language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to the different types of verbs you will encounter in the Bosnian language. Verbs are an essential part of any language, as they convey the action taking place in a sentence. In this lesson, we will explore the different types of verbs, as well as how to conjugate them according to tense, mood, and person.
Types of Verbs
Bosnian verbs can be divided into two types: regular verbs and irregular verbs. Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern when conjugated, while irregular verbs have unique conjugation patterns that must be memorized.
Regular verbs can also be further divided into two types: verbs that end in -ati and verbs that end in -iti. Both conjugate the same way, with slight differences depending on the tense.
Irregular verbs are less predictable, and their conjugation patterns must be memorized on a case-by-case basis. Some common irregular verbs include biti (to be), imati (to have), htjeti (to want), and moći (to be able to).
Conjugation
In Bosnian, verbs are conjugated according to tense, mood, and person. There are six tenses in Bosnian: present, past imperfect, past aorist, future, conditional, and imperative. Each tense has its own unique conjugation pattern that must be memorized.
Moods are used to express the speaker's attitude toward the verb, and there are three moods in Bosnian: indicative, imperative, and conditional. The indicative mood is used for stating facts, while the imperative mood is used for commands. The conditional mood is used to express hypothetical or unlikely situations.
Person is used to indicate who is performing the action in a sentence. In Bosnian, there are three persons: first person, second person, and third person. Each person has its own unique conjugation pattern.
Below is a table that shows the present tense conjugation of the verb raditi (to work) for each person:
| Bosnian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ja radim | Ya rah-deem | I work |
| Ti radiš | Tee rah-dish | You work (singular) |
| On/Ona radi | Own/Owna rah-dee | He/She works |
| Mi radimo | Mee rah-dee-mo | We work |
| Vi radite | Vee rah-dee-teh | You work (plural) |
| Oni/One rade | Oh-nee/Oh-neh rah-deh | They work |
As you can see, each person has its own unique ending that is added to the verb stem. It is important to practice conjugating different verbs in each tense, mood, and person to become comfortable with the patterns.
Common Irregular Verbs
As mentioned earlier, irregular verbs have unique conjugation patterns that do not follow a predictable pattern like regular verbs. Here are some of the most common irregular verbs and their present tense conjugations:
- Biti (to be)
| Bosnian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ja sam | Ya sahm | I am |
| Ti si | Tee see | You are (singular) |
| On/Ona je | Own/Owna yeh | He/She is |
| Mi smo | Mee smoh | We are |
| Vi ste | Vee steh | You are (plural) |
| Oni/One su | Oh-nee/Oh-neh soo | They are |
- Imati (to have)
| Bosnian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ja imam | Ya ee-mahm | I have |
| Ti imaš | Tee ee-mahsh | You have (singular) |
| On/Ona ima | Own/Owna ee-ma | He/She has |
| Mi imamo | Mee ee-mah-mo | We have |
| Vi imate | Vee ee-mah-teh | You have (plural) |
| Oni/One imaju | Oh-nee/Oh-neh ee-mah-yoo | They have |
- Htjeti (to want)
| Bosnian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ja hoću | Ya ho-choo | I want |
| Ti hoćeš | Tee ho-chesh | You want (singular) |
| On/Ona hoće | Own/Owna ho-tseh | He/She wants |
| Mi hoćemo | Mee ho-tseh-mo | We want |
| Vi hoćete | Vee ho-tseh-teh | You want (plural) |
| Oni/One hoće | Oh-nee/Oh-neh ho-tseh | They want |
- Moći (to be able to)
| Bosnian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ja mogu | Ya mo-goo | I am able to |
| Ti možeš | Tee mo-zhesh | You are able to (singular) |
| On/Ona može | Own/Owna mo-zheh | He/She is able to |
| Mi možemo | Mee mo-zheh-mo | We are able to |
| Vi možete | Vee mo-zheh-teh | You are able to (plural) |
| Oni/One mogu | Oh-nee/Oh-neh mo-goo | They are able to |
It is important to practice conjugating these and other irregular verbs to become comfortable with the patterns.
Verbs are an essential part of any language, and understanding how to conjugate them according to tense, mood, and person is crucial. With practice, you will become comfortable with the different types of verbs and their conjugation patterns.
Related Lessons
- Personal pronouns
- Adjectives and Adverbs
- How to Use Be
- Gender
- Give your Opinion
- Future Tense
- Plurals
- Articles and Nouns
- Adjectives
- Questions
Sources