Hrvatski → English
Modal verbs: htjeti, moći, morati, trebati, smjeti, znati
Htjeti, željeti, moći, morati, trebati and smjeti followed by an infinitive (hoću spavati, mogu doći, moram raditi), ne moraš or ne smiješ for “don't have to” and “mustn't”, trebam with a noun (trebam kruh), and znati or poznavati for a skill, a fact or a person (znam plivati, poznajem Anu).
Htjeti is irregular in the present: ja hoću, ti hoćeš, on / ona / ono hoće, mi hoćemo, vi hoćete, oni / one / ona hoće. The on and oni forms are the same. Željeti is a regular -jeti verb: želim, želiš, želi, želimo, želite, žele. Both are followed by the infinitive (spavati, čitati, piti, jesti); želim is the more polite of the two.
Želim piti čaj. — I want to drink some tea.
The English speaker's trap: “I want to sleep” is hoću spavati or želim spavati, with the infinitive, not hoću da spavam or hoću spavam. A question takes li after the verb: Hoćeš li…?
Show the answer htjeti · prezent · ja hoćuShow the answer
Show the answer željeti · prezent · oni/one/ona želeShow the answer
Moći expresses ability, possibility or permission and is followed by the infinitive (doći, pomoći, ostati). In the present: ja mogu, ti možeš, on / ona / ono može, mi možemo, vi možete, oni / one / ona mogu. The stem ends in g in the ja and oni forms and in ž in the others; ja and oni share the form mogu.
Možeš li doći danas? — Can you come today?
A question is formed with li after the verb: Mogu li…? The English speaker's trap: English can has one form for every person, but moći agrees with its subject (oni mogu, not oni može).
Show the answer moći · prezent · ja moguShow the answer
Show the answer moći · prezent · ti možešShow the answer
Obligation is expressed with morati + infinitive: moram, moraš, mora, moramo, morate, moraju. Trebati (need) is followed by an infinitive or by a noun in the accusative: trebam, trebaš, treba, trebamo, trebate, trebaju.
Sutra moram raditi. — I have to work tomorrow. Trebaš li novac? — Do you need money?
The English speaker's trap: “I have to” is moram, not a form of imati. The negative ne moraš means “you don't have to”: it says that something is not necessary and forbids nothing.
Show the answer morati · prezent · oni/one/ona morajuShow the answer
Show the answer trebati · prezent · ja trebamShow the answer
Smjeti (be allowed to, may) is followed by the infinitive. In the present: smijem, smiješ, smije, smijemo, smijete, smiju; the stem is smij-, with ije. A request for permission is formed with li: Smijem li ući?
Ne smiješ jesti meso. — You mustn't eat meat.
The English speaker's trap: “mustn't” is ne smjeti, not ne morati. Ne smiješ ići forbids going, ne moraš ići says that going is not necessary.
Show the answer smjeti · prezent · ja smijemShow the answer
Show the answer smjeti · prezent · ti smiješShow the answer
Znati is used for a fact and, with an infinitive, for a skill: znam, znaš, zna, znamo, znate, znaju. Poznavati is used for a person or a place one is acquainted with; its present is formed on poznaj-: poznajem, poznaješ, poznaje, poznajemo, poznajete, poznaju, followed by the accusative.
Znam gdje je Ana. — I know where Ana is. Poznajem Petru. — I know Petra.
The English speaker's trap: English has one verb, know, and uses can for a skill. A learned skill is znati + infinitive (zna plivati, “he can swim”), moći being for what is possible or allowed at the moment.
Show the answer znati · prezent · ti znašShow the answer
Show the answer znati · prezent · oni/one/ona znajuShow the answer
Sentences mixing htjeti and željeti, moći, morati and trebati, smjeti, znati and poznavati: the person ending of the modal verb, the infinitive after it, and the choice between ne moraš and ne smiješ, znam and mogu.
Show the answer Ana i ja ___ (htjeti) kupiti novi auto. hoćemoShow the answer
Show the answer Tomislav danas ne ___ (moći) doći. možeShow the answer
Create an account to see the rest Already have an account? Sign in.
This catalogue is protected by the EU database right (Directive 96/9/EC): extracting or reusing a substantial part of it is not permitted. Legal notice