Language/Croatian/Grammar/Present-Tense-of-Irregular-Verbs

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Croatian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Present Tense of Irregular Verbs

Welcome to your next exciting step in mastering the Croatian language! In this lesson, we will dive into the fascinating world of irregular verbs in the present tense. Understanding these verbs is essential as they form the backbone of everyday conversation in Croatian. Irregular verbs can be tricky, but don't worry—by the end of this lesson, you'll feel more confident in using them!

Why Are Irregular Verbs Important?

Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the standard patterns of conjugation. This means that when you're learning them, you need to memorize their unique forms. In Croatian, just like in many languages, irregular verbs are very commonly used, and knowing how to conjugate them can greatly enhance your ability to communicate effectively.

Lesson Structure

In this lesson, we will cover the following:

• Understanding Irregular Verbs

• Conjugation of Common Irregular Verbs

• Examples of Irregular Verbs in Sentences

• Practice Exercises

• Solutions and Explanations for Exercises

Now, let’s jump right in!

Understanding Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs in Croatian differ from regular verbs in their conjugation patterns. While regular verbs follow a specific set of rules, irregular verbs change their endings in unique ways that you need to memorize. In Croatian, some common irregular verbs include:

• biti (to be)

• imati (to have)

• ići (to go)

• vidjeti (to see)

• doći (to come)

Understanding these verbs will help you describe actions, states, and experiences more accurately.

Conjugation of Common Irregular Verbs

Let’s look at how to conjugate these common irregular verbs in the present tense. Below, you will find their conjugation for all personal pronouns.

Verb: biti (to be)

Croatian	Pronunciation	English
ja sam	ya sahm	I am
ti si	ti see	you are (singular)
on/ona/ono je	on/ona/ono yeh	he/she/it is
mi smo	mee smoh	we are
vi ste	vee steh	you are (plural/formal)
oni/one/ona su	oh-nee/oh-neh/oh-nah soo	they are

Verb: imati (to have)

Croatian	Pronunciation	English
ja imam	ya ee-mahm	I have
ti imaš	ti ee-mash	you have (singular)
on/ona/ono ima	on/ona/ono ee-mah	he/she/it has
mi imamo	mee ee-mah-mo	we have
vi imate	vee ee-mah-teh	you have (plural/formal)
oni/one/ona imaju	oh-nee/oh-neh/oh-nah ee-mah-yoo	they have

Verb: ići (to go)

Croatian	Pronunciation	English
ja idem	ya ee-dem	I go
ti ideš	ti ee-desh	you go (singular)
on/ona/ono ide	on/ona/ono ee-deh	he/she/it goes
mi idemo	mee ee-deh-mo	we go
vi idete	vee ee-deh-teh	you go (plural/formal)
oni/one/ona idu	oh-nee/oh-neh/oh-nah ee-doo	they go

Verb: vidjeti (to see)

Croatian	Pronunciation	English
ja vidim	ya vee-deem	I see
ti vidiš	ti vee-deesh	you see (singular)
on/ona/ono vidi	on/ona/ono vee-dee	he/she/it sees
mi vidimo	mee vee-dee-mo	we see
vi vidite	vee vee-dee-teh	you see (plural/formal)
oni/one/ona vide	oh-nee/oh-neh/oh-nah vee-deh	they see

Verb: doći (to come)

Croatian	Pronunciation	English
ja dođem	ya doh-jem	I come
ti dođeš	ti doh-desh	you come (singular)
on/ona/ono dođe	on/ona/ono doh-deh	he/she/it comes
mi dođemo	mee doh-jeh-mo	we come
vi dođete	vee doh-jeh-teh	you come (plural/formal)
oni/one/ona dođu	oh-nee/oh-neh/oh-nah doh-joo	they come

Examples of Irregular Verbs in Sentences

Now that we have covered the conjugation of common irregular verbs, let’s see how these verbs are used in sentences. Below are examples to illustrate their usage in context:

Using "biti" (to be)

Croatian	Pronunciation	English
Ja sam učitelj.	Ya sahm oo-chee-tel.	I am a teacher.
Ti si moj prijatelj.	Ti see moy pree-yah-tel.	You are my friend.
On je sretan.	On yeh sret-an.	He is happy.
Mi smo u školi.	Mee smoh oo sh-koh-lee.	We are at school.
Oni su u gradu.	Oh-nee soo oo grah-doo.	They are in the city.

Using "imati" (to have)

Croatian	Pronunciation	English
Ja imam knjigu.	Ya ee-mahm k-nyi-goo.	I have a book.
Ti imaš auto.	Ti ee-mash ow-toh.	You have a car.
Ona ima dvije mačke.	Oh-nah ee-mah dv-yeh mah-ch-keh.	She has two cats.
Mi imamo vremena.	Mee ee-mah-mo v-reh-meh-na.	We have time.
Oni imaju sreću.	Oh-nee ee-mah-yoo sret-choo.	They have luck.

Using "ići" (to go)

Croatian	Pronunciation	English
Ja idem u trgovinu.	Ya ee-dem oo t-gr-go-vee-noo.	I go to the store.
Ti ideš na posao.	Ti ee-desh nah p-oh-sah-oh.	You go to work.
On ide kući.	On ee-deh koo-chee.	He goes home.
Mi idemo u kino.	Mee ee-deh-mo oo kee-no.	We go to the cinema.
Oni idu na more.	Oh-nee ee-doo nah mo-reh.	They go to the sea.

Using "vidjeti" (to see)

Croatian	Pronunciation	English
Ja vidim pticu.	Ya vee-deem p-tsee-tsoo.	I see a bird.
Ti vidiš rijeku.	Ti vee-deesh ree-yay-koo.	You see the river.
Ona vidi cvijet.	Oh-nah vee-dee ts-vyet.	She sees a flower.
Mi vidimo film.	Mee vee-dee-mo feelm.	We see a movie.
Oni vide zgradu.	Oh-nee vee-deh z-gra-doo.	They see the building.

Using "doći" (to come)

Croatian	Pronunciation	English
Ja dođem kasno.	Ya doh-jem kahs-no.	I come late.
Ti dođeš brzo.	Ti doh-desh bur-zoh.	You come quickly.
Ona dođe u posjet.	Oh-nah doh-deh oo p-oh-syet.	She comes for a visit.
Mi dođemo zajedno.	Mee doh-jem-o zah-yeh-dno.	We come together.
Oni dođu sutra.	Oh-nee doh-joo soo-tra.	They come tomorrow.

Practice Exercises

Now it’s time to put your knowledge to the test! Below are some exercises to help you practice what you have learned about irregular verbs in the present tense.

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb “biti” (to be):

• Ja ___ učitelj.

• Oni ___ u gradu.

• Ti ___ sretan.

2. Translate the following sentences into Croatian:

• I have a dog.

• She is happy.

• We are tired.

3. Conjugate the verb “ići” (to go) for the pronoun “mi” (we):

• Mi ___ (to go).

4. Choose the correct form of the verb “vidjeti” (to see):

• Ja ___ (vidim/vidi) film.

• Oni ___ (vide/vidi) pticu.

5. Match the Croatian sentence with its English translation:

• A) Ti imaš knjigu.

• B) On ide na more.

• C) Mi vidimo film.

• D) Oni dođu sutra.

• 1) We see a movie.

• 2) You have a book.

• 3) He goes to the sea.

• 4) They come tomorrow.

6. Complete the sentences with the correct conjugated form of “doći” (to come):

• Ja ___ (to come) kasno.

• Ti ___ (to come) brzo.

7. Write a sentence using the verb “imati” (to have) in the first person.

8. Rearrange the words to form a correct sentence:

• (sretan) je on.

• (film) vidim ja.

9. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the verbs provided:

• Ja ___ (ići) u trgovinu.

• Oni ___ (vidjeti) cvijet.

10. Translate the following sentences into English:

• Ja sam u školi.

• Mi imamo vremena.

Solutions and Explanations for Exercises

1. Fill in the blanks:

• Ja sam učitelj.

• Oni su u gradu.

• Ti si sretan.

2. Translations:

• I have a dog. → Ja imam psa.

• She is happy. → Ona je sretna.

• We are tired. → Mi smo umorni.

3. Conjugation of “ići”:

• Mi idemo.

4. Choose the correct form:

• Ja vidim film.

• Oni vide pticu.

5. Match the sentences:

• A → 2) You have a book.

• B → 3) He goes to the sea.

• C → 1) We see a movie.

• D → 4) They come tomorrow.

6. Complete the sentences:

• Ja dođem kasno.

• Ti dođeš brzo.

7. Example sentence:

• Ja imam auto. (I have a car.)

8. Rearranged sentences:

• On je sretan.

• Ja vidim film.

9. Fill in the blanks:

• Ja idem u trgovinu.

• Oni vide cvijet.

10. Translations:

• Ja sam u školi. → I am at school.

• Mi imamo vremena. → We have time.

With these exercises, you should now have a solid understanding of how to use irregular verbs in the present tense! Keep practicing, and soon, these forms will become second nature to you.

Table of Contents - Croatian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Nouns: Gender and Number
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense of Regular Verbs
• Present Tense of Irregular Verbs

  ---

Daily Activities

• Common Activities
• Hobbies and Interests

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives: Gender and Number
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

  ---

Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

  ---

Croatian Culture and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Music and Dance

Sources

• Croatian Verbs, the Best Detailed Introduction - tenses, aspect, and ...
• Serbo-Croatian grammar - Wikipedia
• The present tense in the Croatian language, affirmative - SpeakCRO ...

Other Lessons

• Plurals
• Questions
• Future Tense
• Present Tense of Regular Verbs
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Pronouns
• Advanced Verb Tenses
• How to Use Be
• Advanced Noun and Adjective Declension

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