(UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
This is a list of the most useful Croatian verbs. Verbs are either listed individually, in verb pairs, and occasionally in triplets.
I've listed the 10 most important forms for each verb. For a great majority of verbs, all those forms follow regularly from the infinitive (inf) or 3rd pers. present (pres-3).
Abbreviations and stress marks follow the rest of Easy Croatian, i.e. only the place of stress is marked.
With each verb (or pair) various ways to use it are listed, and each way has at least one example.
The list is divided in three parts.
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This verb pair is used with objects in A:
Goran je bacio loptu. Goran threw the ball.
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This verb is hard to translate into English, it means someone is regularly pursuing something, either professionally or in their free time. It's used with objects in I:
Ivan se bavi trčanjem. Ivan does running.
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This is the most frequent verb in Croatian. It's also used as an auxiliary verb, to form the past tense. Normally, only clitic forms in the present tense are used. Stressed forms are used when the verb is emphasized, or when it must appear at the first position in a sentence. It has special negative forms in the present tense. It's used to indicate states of subject, with adjectives in N:
Ana je gladna. Ana is hungry.
Goran je žedan. Goran is thirsty.
It's also used to indicate location of the subject:
Ana je na moru. Ana is at the seaside.
With the preposition kod¨ + G, it can indicate a location at someone's shop, office or home:
Ivan je kod Ane. Ivan is at Ana's place (home).
It also indicates temporary possession of movable things, like cards, money, items, cars, etc.:
Karte su kod Ane. Ana has the tickets
In specific circumstances, it's replaced by the verb (bude).
↓ bježati (bježi) ~ pobjeći (pobjegne,...) run away, escape
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This verb pair is used with optional origins and destinations:
Goran je pobjegao u sobu. Goran ran away to the room.
It can be also used with persons in DL, indicating who was supposed to be "in control" of someone:
Goran je pobjegao Ani. Goran ran away from Ana.
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This verb is always used with a se².
It can be used with objects in G, indicating source of fear:
Goran se boji pasa. Goran is afraid of dogs.
It is also often used with fear clauses, where any type of verb can be used in any tense:
Ana se boji [da će biti hladno]. Ana is afraid that it will be cold.
(More examples are coming soon)
↓ boljeti (boli,...) ~¹ za- («) hurt, feel pain
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The verb zaboljeti usually stands for a 'single', brief or short pain; sometimes, it can also stand for pain that started at some definite time.
This verb pair is used unlike in English: the body part that hurts is the subject, while the person who feels the pain is the object in A:
Anu boli zub. Ana's teeth hurts.
Boljela me noga. My leg has hurt.
The verb zaboljeti («) is semelfactive, i.e. it means experience a short pain.
The verb also appears as (both non-standard in Croatian):
Ikavian: boliti
Ekavian: boleti (boli)
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** There's no regular verbal noun, the noun borba fight is used when needed.
This verb is always used with a se².
When you are fighting against someone or something, it can be expressed with protiv + G:
Policija se bori protiv zločina. The police fights against crime.
It's more common to express who or what is fought using s¨ / sa¨ + G:
Ana se bori sa snom. Ana is fighting sleep. (lit. 'dream')
Unlike in English, this verb cannot be used with simple objects (e.g. fight sleep).
This verb can be used with atemporal clauses (where only present tense can be used, of both perf. and impf. verbs) – they represent a desire or goal here. In this use, English prefers the verb struggle:
Mnogi se bore [da nađu posao]. Many are struggling to find a job.
↓ brinuti (brine) (se²) take care, worry
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This verb is used with an optional object, expressed with o¨ + DL:
Ana brine o Goranu. Ana takes care of Goran.
(More examples are coming soon)
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This verb pair is used with an object in A:
Goran briše ruke. Goran is wiping his hands.
When someone is wiping themselves, a true reflexive se² is used, i.e. it can be emphasized as sebe:
Goran se briše. Goran is wiping himself.
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This verb is a replacement for biti (je² +) be in specific circumstances. It can be used when describing occasional things, happening in the past and future, using the present tense:
Ponekad bude hladno ujutro. Sometimes it gets cold in the morning.
It's also used in clauses that use present tense to indicate future events:
(Examples are coming soon)
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This verb pair is usually used with se², the meaning is mediopassive, i.e. somebody wakes up on his or her own:
Goran se budi. Goran is waking up.
Goran se probudio. Goran woke up.
This verb pair can be also used with an object in A, when someone is waking / has woken someone else up:
Ana je probudila Gorana. Ana has woken Goran up.
↓ crtati ~ na- draw (a sketch, picture)
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This verb pair means only draw drawings or lines on some surface. It's used with an optional object in A (mandatory for the perf. verb):
Goran crta. Goran is drawing.
Goran je nacrtao psa. Goran has drawn a dog.
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This verb is used with an optional object in A:
Ivan čeka vlak. Ivan is waiting for a train.
It can be used with atemporal clauses (where only present tense can be used, of both perf. and impf. verbs) – when waiting for something to happen:
Ivan čeka [da Ana dođe kući]. Ivan is waiting for Ana to come home.
(Other examples are coming soon)
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This verb is used with an optional object in A (mandatory for the perf. verb):
Ivan čisti auto. Ivan is cleaning the car.
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This verb pair is used with an optional object in A (mandatory for the perf. verb):
Ana čita. Ana is reading.
Ana čita knjigu. Ana is reading a book.
With these sentences, a person in DL can be added to express reading to someone:
Ana čita knjigu Goranu. Ana is reading the book to Goran.
This verb pair can also be used with content clauses, starting with da or a question-word (all tenses can be used):
Ana je pročitala [što se dogodilo]. Ana has read what had happened.
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This verb behaves partly like a perf. verb, but it's used in the present tense, in meaning can hear.
It's used with an object in A:
Čujem pticu. I can hear a bird.
With se², it gets mediopassive meaning, that is, something (in N) can be heard:
Ptica se čuje. A bird can be heard.
This verb can also be used with content clauses, starting with da or a question-word (all tenses can be used):
Čuo sam [da je Goran na igralištu]. I heard Goran was on the playground.
Ana je čula [što se dogodilo]. Ana heard what had happened.
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It's used with an object in A:
Ana čuva pisma u ladici. Ana keeps letters in the drawer.
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* The impf. verb has also a couple of alternative forms: pres. adv. davajući and imper-2 davaj.
It's used with an object in A and an optional recipient in DL:
Ana je dala knjigu Ivani. Ana has given the book to Ivana.
↓ dešavati («) se² ~ desiti («) se² happen (colloq.)
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This verb pair is always used with a se².
It's considered non-standard, but it's frequent in speech and casual writing. The impf. verb usually corresponds to go on, while perf. corresponds to happen:
Nešto se dešava u dvorištu. Something is going on in the yard.
Nešto se desilo jučer. Something happened yesterday.
Persons affected can be expressed in DL:
Nešto nam se desilo jučer. Something happened to us yesterday.
↓ dobivati («) ~ dobiti (dobije) get
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This verb pair is used with an object in A (more or less mandatory):
Ana je dobila poruku. Ana has got a message.
The origin can be expressed by adding od¨ + G:
Ana je dobila poruku od Ivana. Ana has got a message from Ivan.
↓ događati («) se² ~ dogoditi («) se² happen
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** There's no regular perf. verbal noun, the noun događaj event is used when needed.
This verb pair is always used with a se². The impf. verb usually corresponds to go on, while perf. corresponds to happen:
Nešto se događa u dvorištu. Something is going on in the yard.
Nešto se dogodilo jučer. Something happened yesterday.
Persons affected can be expressed in DL:
Nešto nam se dogodilo jučer. Something happened to us yesterday.
↓ dolaziti ~ doći (dođe, ...) come
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** There's no regular perf. verbal noun, the noun dolazak (dolask-) arrival is used when needed.
This verb pair is used with optional destinations and origins:
Goran je došao u sobu. Goran came to the room.
Goran je došao s igrališta. Goran came from the playground.
As with other verbs of motion, if someone came somewhere to pick up something, it can be expressed with po¨ + A:
Goran je došao po čistu majicu. Goran came to take a clean shirt.
Also, as with other verbs of motion, if someone came somewhere to do something, it can be expressed with inf, and objects can be added to it, forming an infinitive clause:
Goran je došao popiti vode. Goran came to drink some water.
↓
donositi («) ~ donijeti (donese,...) bring (by carrying)
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This verb pair is used with objects in A, and optional destinations and origins:
Goran je donio knjigu u sobu. Goran brought the book to the room.
Destinations can be persons in DL:
Ana je donijela Goranu sladoled. Ana has brought Goran an ice-cream.
The verb pair is used only for bringing portable things (e.g. keys), weather (e.g. rain), abstract things (e.g. happiness) and small animals (e.g. hamster) that are carried. For everything else, dovoditi («) ~ dovesti (dovede, doveo) bring (someone) is used.
The perf. verb also appears as (both non-standard in Croatian):
Ikavian: doniti (donese)
Ekavian: doneti (donese)
↓ dopuštati («) ~ dopustiti («) allow, let
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This verb pair is used with atemporal clauses (where only present tense can be used, of both perf. and impf. verbs), where persons in DL are allowed (by the subject) to do what is expressed by the clause:
Ana je dopustila Goranu [da gleda film]. Ana has let Goran watch the movie.
As with other atemporal clauses, to to can be used instead:
Ana to nije dopustila Goranu. Ana didn't allow Goran that.
↓ dovoditi («) ~ dovesti (dovede, doveo) bring (someone)
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This verb pair is used with objects in A, and optional destinations and origins. The objects are always persons, including babies, or animals that walk (cats, dogs, horses, etc.):
Ana je dovela Gorana u školu. Ana brought Goran to school.
Bringing anything else is expressed by donositi («) ~ donijeti (donese,...) bring (by carrying).
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This verb is used with an object in A:
Goran drži loptu. Goran is holding a ball.
What is used for catching is expressed in I:
Goran drži loptu rukama. Goran is holding a ball with his hands.
If you want to express that something is held by a part, you should use za¨ + A:
Goran je držao Anu za ruku. Goran held Ana by her hand.
When someone is holding something to support themselves, a se² must be used, with za¨ + A:
↓ gasiti ~ u- («) extinguish, turn off
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This verb pair can be used with an object in A, it's used for things that burn, but also for lights, engines, cars, TV and many other things:
Ugasili su vatru. They've extinguished the fire.
Ugasit ću televiziju. I'll turn the TV off.
This verb pair can be also used with se², the meaning is mediopassive, i.e. something happens or has happened to the subject, but we don't say who is causing it, or it happens on its own, fire stops on its own, some device turns off by itself, etc.:
(Examples are coming soon)
Svijeća se ugasila. The candle has burned out.
The opposite meaning is expressed by paliti ignite, turn on.
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This verb pair can be used with an object in A:
Gledamo film. We're watching a movie.
↓ govoriti («) ~ reći (reče / kaže,...) say
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There are several verbs overlapping. The verb reći (...) is avoided in the present tense, and present forms of another verb, kazati (kaže) is used instead. The verb reći (...) is, however, common in imperative, past and future tenses and conditional.
This verb is usually used with an optional person in DL (recepient of speech) and several possible ways to express what was said. One common option are content clauses, starting with da or a question-word (all tenses can be used):
Rekao sam Ani [da je Goran na igralištu]. I told Ana Goran was on the playground.
Rekao sam joj [gdje je Goran]. I told her where Goran was.Observe that there's no tense shift in Croatian.
It can be used with simple objects in A, standing for what is said:
Rekao sam joj sve. I told her everything.
↓ grijati (grije) ~ u- heat, warm
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This verb pair is usually used with se², the meaning is mediopassive, i.e. something happens or has happened to the subject, but we don't say who is causing it, or it happens on its own:
Juha se grije. The beer is warming.
More se ugrijalo. The sea warmed.
This verb pair can be also used with an object in A:
Ugrijala sam ručak. I've warmed the lunch.
The opposite meaning is expressed by hladiti ~ o- («) cool.
The perf. verb also appears as (non-standard in Croatian):
Ekavian: grejati (greje)↓
griješiti ~ po- («) err, make mistake
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** There's no regular perf. verbal noun, the noun pogreška error is used when needed. In meaning sin, the noun grijeh is also used.
The verb pair is often used without an object:
Pogriješio sam. I've made a mistake.
(More examples are coming soon)
The perf. verb also appears as (both non-standard in Croatian):
Ikavian: grišiti
Ekavian: grešiti
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This verb pair is used with objects in A:
Ana je izgubila narukvicu. Ana has lost a bracelet.
It's also used when people or teams lose in sports or games, without any object:
Jučer smo izgubili. We lost yesterday.
With se², it gets passive meaning, the subject become lost:
Izgubili su se. They got lost.
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This verb pair is usually used with se², the meaning is mediopassive, i.e. something happens or has happened to the subject, but we don't say who is causing it, or it happens on its own:
Pivo se hladi. The beer is cooling.
More se ohladilo. The sea became cold.
This verb pair can be also used with an object in A:
Ohladili smo vino. We've cooled the wine.
The opposite meaning is expressed by grijati (grije) ~ u- («) warm.
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This verb pair is used with an object in A:
Ana je nahranila mačku. Ana has fed the cat.
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This verb pair is used with an object in A, but this is rather direct and considered rude, so it's usually 'softened' with conditional:
Hoću kavu. I want (some) coffee. (rude)
Htjela bih kavu. I'd like (some) coffee.
It's also used as an auxiliary verb, to form the future tense. Normally, only clitic forms in the present tense are used for that purpose:
Ići ćemo na more. We'll go to the seaside.
(More examples are coming soon)
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This verb pair is used with an object in A:
Goran je uhvatio loptu. Goran caught the ball.
What is used for catching is expressed in I:
Goran je uhvatio loptu rukom. Goran caught the ball with his hand.
If you want to express that something is caught by a part, you should use za¨ + A:
Goran je uhvatio Anu za ruku. Goran caught Ana by her hand.
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This verb is used with destinations and (less often) origins:
Idemo u kino. We're going to the cinema.
Idem s posla. I'm going from work.
Used impersonally (i.e. in the 3rd pers. singular, neuter forms in the past tense) with a person in DL and an adverb, it describes how that person is 'doing':
Ide nam dobro. We're doing fine.
Išlo mi je super. (colloq.) I was doing great.
This corresponds exactly to German es geht mir gut and similar phrases.
(More examples are coming soon)
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The verb is used with an object in A:
Ivan igra košarku. Ivan is playing basketball.
When someone is not playing a specific game, but e.g. with toys, a se² must be used:
Goran se igra. Goran is playing.
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The verb is used with objects in A:
Goran ima loptu. Goran has a ball.
The negative present tense is one word, the ne¨ gets fused:
Ana nema kišobran. Ana doesn't have an umbrella.
In the 3rd pers. present, the verb used in so-called existential phrases, corresponding to English there is... or there are..., with G (for uncountable nouns) or G-pl objects (for countable nouns):
Nema šećera. There's no sugar.
Ima jabuka. There are some apples.
In the past and future tenses, such phrases use the verb biti (je² +) instead:
Nije bilo šećera. There was no sugar.
Bit će jabuka. There will be some apples.
Unlike in English, the existential phrase is also used with personal pronouns:
Nema ih. They are not here. (lit. 'There's no them.')
Nije te bilo. You weren't here. (lit. 'There was no you.')
If you want to express there's a... — with single countable things and immaterial concepts — you can use N, but it's less frequent:
Ima jedan problem. There's a problem.
This cannot be done when the phrase is negated (there's no) – you have to use G-pl then:
Nema problema. There are no problems.
Pay attention that, in existential phrases, verbs are always in the third person, singular.
↓ isključivati (isključuje) ~ isključiti («) exclude; turn off (device)
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The verb is used with objects in A, usually for turning off various devices and power supplies:
Ana je isključila pećnicu. Ana has turned the oven off.
(More examples are coming soon)
↓ izlaziti ~ izaći (izađe,...) go out
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* The perf. verb has alternative forms izići (iziđe,...) that are preferred by Standard Croatian, but less common in the real life.
This verb pair is used with optional origins and (sometimes) destinations:
Goran je izašao iz sobe. Goran came out of the room.
Goran je izašao iz kuće na dvorište. Goran came out of the room to the playground.
↓ izgledati («) appear, look, seem
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This verb is usually used with adverbs, describing how someone looks:
Izgledaš odlično. You look great.
It can be used impersonally, with content clauses (starting with da), meaning it seems that...:
Izgleda [da će padati kiša]. It seems it's going to rain.
Izgledalo je [da će padati kiša]. It seemed it was going to rain.
↓ javljati ~ javiti inform, contact
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This verb pair can be used in two ways. First, with se², and optionally a person (or a group, institution) in DL, in meaning get in touch, contact:
Javi mi se kad dođeš u hotel. Contact me when you come to the hotel.
Another meaning – inform – is expressed with a content clause instead of se²; the use of optional DL is the same:
Ana nam je javila [da je sve u redu]. Ana has informed us that everything is fine.
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This verb pair is used with an optional object in A:
Goran jede. Goran is eating.
Goran je pojeo kolač. Goran has eaten a cake.
The perf. verb also appears as (non-standard in Croatian):
Ikavian: jisti (jide,...)
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This verb is often used with an object in A (some people consider it non-standard in Croatian, but it's widespread):
Ana koristi žlicu. Ana is using a spoon.
Much less frequent, but standard in Croatian, is use with se² and an object in I:
Ana se koristi žlicom. (the same meaning, less common)
Finally, the verb can be used in the 'inversed' mode: something that's useful (or not) is the subject (in N), and the person who will benefit (or not) is in DL:
Žlica će ti koristiti. The spoon will be useful to you.
To nam ne koristi. This is of no use to us.
↓ krasti (krade, krao) ~ u- (») steal
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** There's no regular impf. verbal noun, the noun krađa is used when needed.
This verb pair is used with optional objects in A:
Netko je ukrao loptu. Somebody stole the ball.
↓ kretati (kreće) ~~ krenuti move
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The impf. verb is used usually with se²:
Auto se kreće. The car is moving.
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This verb pair is used with an optional object in A:
Ana kuha. Ana is cooking.
Ana kuha kavu. Ana is 'cooking' coffee.
While English prefers other verbs in some instances, i.e. make coffee, prepare lunch etc., Croatian prefers this verb pair whenever oven or stove are used.
This verb pair can also be used with se², the meaning is mediopassive, i.e. something happens or has happened to the subject, but we don't say who is causing it, or it happens on its own, e.g. for things left to cook:
Juha se kuha. The soup is cooking.
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This verb pair is very often used with se², in meaning that someone is in a bathtub or a lake, pool, sea, river, either washing themselves or just enjoying (where English would use e.g. swim):
Ana se kupa u bazenu. Ana is 'bathing' in a pool.
With an object in A, the meaning is that someone is bathing someone else:
Ivana kupa Luku. Ivana is giving a bath to Luka.
↓ kupovati (kupuje) ~ kupiti buy
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** There's no regular perf. verbal noun, nouns kupnja and kupovina are used when needed.
The verb pair is normally used with a verb in A:
Ana je kupila kruh. Ana has bought bread.
↓ kvariti ~ po- («) break, spoil
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This verb pair is usually used with a se²; the meaning is mediopassive, i.e. something happens or has happened to the subject, but we don't say who is causing it, who has caused it, or it happened on its own.
With machines and devices, it corresponds to English break down:
Auto se pokvario. The car broke down.
With food, it corresponds to English spoil:
Mlijeko se pokvarilo. The milk has spoiled.
↓ lagati (laže) ~ s- lie (tell lies)
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(coming soon)
↓ ležati (leži) ~~ leći (legne,...) lie (e.g. on bed)
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The impf. verb is used with optional locations:
Goran leži. Goran is lying.
Goran leži na podu. Goran is lying on the floor.
The perf. verb – it's really inchoative, describing entering a state – corresponds to English lie down. It's used with optional destinations:
Goran je legao. Goran has lain down.
Goran je legao na pod. Goran has lain down on the floor.
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The verb poljubiti is usually understood to mean a single kiss.
This verb pair is used with objects in A:
Ana je poljubila Gorana. Ana has kissed Goran.
It can be also used with mutual se², when subject is more than one person:
Ana i Marko su se poljubili. Ana and Marko kissed each other.
↓ micati (miče) ~ maknuti (makne) move
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This verb pair is usually used with a se², the meaning is mediopassive, i.e. something moves on its own:
Goran se miče. Goran is moving.
The verb pair can be also used with an object in A, when someone is moving something, esp. when moving something out of the way:
Goran je maknuo igračku. Goran has put the toy away.
↓
miješati ~ pro- («) mix, stir
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These verbs are often seen in non-standard spelling, with je instead of ije, e.g. mješam.
This verb pair is used with single objects in A, coresponding to English stir:
Ana miješa juhu. Ana is stirring the soup.
With two objects in A, linked with i¨, or one object in A and another expressed by s¨/sa¨ + I, it corresponds to English mix:
Ana je promiješala brašno i šećer. Ana mixed flour with sugar.
Ana je promiješala brašno sa šećerom. (the same meaning)
The verb also appears as (both non-standard in Croatian):
Ikavian: mišati
Ekavian: mešati
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The verb pomisliti is semelfactive, i.e. it means think for a moment, have a thought.
The verbs are used usually with content clauses, starting with da, and using any tense:
Ana misli [da ima dovoljno novca]. Ana thinks she has enough money.
It can be also used with o¨ + DL, meaning think about:
Ana misli o Ivanu. Ana is thinking about Ivan.
↓ moći (može +,...) can, be able to
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The verb is used with another verb in infinitive, which can have optional objects, and so on:
Goran može stajati na jednoj nozi. Goran can stand on one leg.
In conditional, it corresponds to English could:
Mogli bismo ići u restoran. We could go to a restaurant.
Colloquially, the pres-3 is used in meaning "alright, OK" with nouns in N:
Može jedna kava. (colloq.) 'One coffee is OK.' = Yes, I'd like one cup of coffee.
Colloquially, it's also used in questions and positive responses (esp. when talking to people you're familiar with):
Može jedna kava? Would you like a cup of coffee?
— Može. 'OK' = Yes.
↓ moliti ~¹ za- («) kindly ask; pray
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** There's no regular perf. verbal noun, the noun molba is used when needed.
This verb is usually used with a person in DL (who receives the request) and an atemporal da-clause (only in pres. tense, but perf. verbs allowed) standing for what is asked:
Molim te [da kupiš kruh]. 'I'm kindly asking you to buy bread'.
It can be used with simple objects in A, standing for what is requested:
Molim te kruh. 'I'm kindly asking you for the bread'. = Bread, please.
The verb zamoliti («) is semelfactive, i.e. stands for individual requests, e.g. if you asked twice, you can say:
Zamolio sam te dvaput. 'I've kindly asked you twice.'
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Used with another verb in infinitive:
Ana mora jesti voće. Goran has to eat fruits.
If another verb is ići (ide,...) go, it can be left out, leaving only a destination:
Ana mora (ići) na sastanak. Ana has to go to a meeting.
The verb is in speech often 'softened' into conditional, in order not to sound like a command:
Morala bi spavati. You should sleep.
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** There's no regular verbal noun, the noun mržnja hate is used when needed.
The verb is used with objects in A:
Goran mrzi ribu. Goran hates fish.
It's also used with another verb in infinitive, which can have own objects, and so on:
Goran mrzi jesti ribu. Goran hates eating fish.
The opposite meaning is expressed by voljeti (voli,...) love.
The verb also appears as (non-standard in Croatian):
Ekavian: mrzeti (mrzi)
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