Stajati & stati

In this section, we’ll look at two closely related verbs: stajati and stati. At first, they may look almost the same, but in Croatian they carry very different meanings depending on aspect and context.

Present Tense

🧍 STAJATI

Stajati

is an imperfective verb with several meanings in everyday Croatian. It is broad, but the common thread is that it describes a state of being rather than an action.

• To stand.
  • On stoji na uglu. → He is standing on the corner.
  • The verb here shows a person on their feet, in one place, not walking away.

• To have a price, to cost.
  • Ova knjiga stoji 10 eura. → This book costs 10 euros.
  • The idea is that the price “stands” attached to the object.

• To suit someone (appearance, clothing).
  • Ova haljina ti dobro stoji. → That dress looks good on you.
  • The clothing “stands well” on the person, meaning it looks right on them.

• To describe situations or conditions (often idiomatic).
  • Loše stojim s novcem. → I am in a bad financial situation.
  • Here stajati expresses how things “stand.” You can also hear: Kako stvari stoje? → How are things?

• To live or reside (regional use).
  • Ja stojim na trećem katu. → I live on the third floor.
  • In some areas, stajati is used instead of živjeti (“to live”).

✋ STATI

Stati is a perfective verb and it is about interruption and turning points. It captures the instant when something stops or when something new begins.

• To stop (moving).
  • Stao sam na semaforu. → I stopped at the traffic light.
  • The focus here is the exact moment when movement ends.

• To stand up, to get on one’s feet.
  • Dijete je stalo na noge po prvi put. → The child stood up for the first time.
  • This points to the action of rising to the feet, not the state of standing afterward.

• To begin (with an infinitive).
  • Stao je pričati što se dogodilo. → He began to tell what happened.
  • Stao je svirati gitaru. → He started playing the guitar.
  • Here stati introduces the moment an action starts. It doesn’t describe the whole activity, just the decisive beginning.

👩🏻‍💻 Practice

What did we learn…

3.1 Zadatak 1: Stajati ili stati

Choose the appropriate verb to complete each sentence. Use the present tense.

3.1 Zadatak 2: Odaberi glagol

Fill in the blanks with the correct present tense form of stajati or stati.