Cjelina 8: Odnosi u društvu
🔗 8 | 2 | Gramatika: Glagolski vid
Verbal Aspect
Perfective and Imperfective Verbs
Most verbs in Croatian can have imperfective and perfective forms. The imperfective verb, indicates an ongoing action, something that happens often, or an incomplete action. Look at the examples:
IMPERFECTIVE VERBS (KUCATI)
- ONGOING ACTION
- Opet kasniš! Gdje si?
- Pa ovdje sam. Kucam ti na vrata već par minuta. Zar ne čuješ?
- You’re late again! Where are you?
- I’m right here. I’ve been knocking on your door for a few minutes. Don’t you hear me?
- HAPPENS OFTEN
- Uvijek kucam kad idem u posjet. Ne ulazim bez da mi netko ne otvori vrata.
- I always knock when I go to visit someone. I don’t go in unless someone opens the door for me.
- Uvijek kucam kad idem u posjet. Ne ulazim bez da mi netko ne otvori vrata.
- INCOMPLETE ACTION
- Dolaziš li večeras?
- Da, dolazim!
- Super! Kad dođeš, moraš kucati dok te ne čujem.
- Are you coming tonight?
- Yes, I am!
- Great! When you arrive, you have to knock until I hear you.
As you can see, in the first example, the situation is still happening. A person is still knocking on the door and is still not finished. In the second example, a person stated that a thing that they usually (i.e., often) do is knocking on someone’s door and here the emphasis is on the notion that they do that until they are heard and someone opens the door. Thus, it represents an ongoing, repetitive action. In this situation you will most often have a word like often, usually, rarely that tells you it’s a repetitive action. The third example shows that a person is planning to knock, an action is about to happen and it will be over a certain period of time.
The verb pokucati and kucnuti are perfective verbs, indicating a complete action, something that happened or will happen (i.e., completed/finished action). Keep in mind that this verb can also be used to indicate a repetitive action. However, in this situation the emphasis is placed on the notion that the action is complete. Look at the examples:
PERFECTIVE VERB (POKUCATI / KUCNUTI)
- COMPLETED ACTION
- Prvo pokucam, a onda uđem u kuću. Ne čekam da netko otvori vrata.
- First I knock, and then I enter the house. I don’t wait for someone to open the door.
- Prvo pokucam, a onda uđem u kuću. Ne čekam da netko otvori vrata.
- HAPPENS OFTEN – EMPHASIS ON COMPLETION
- Ja uvijek kucnem u glavu kad pričam o sreći.
- Ja uvijek lagano pokucam na vrata prije nego uđem.
- I always knock on my head when I talk about luck.
- I always gently knock on the door before I enter.
Now let’s take a look at the verbs we came across in today’s lesson. Below, you’ll find perfective and imperfective verb pairs in the present tense.
✊🏻 To knock
Verbs KUCATI and KUCNUTI (to knock)
* Verb pokucati is not included in the chart below because it is a regular –ati verb (ja pokucam).
| Subject | kucati (imperfective) | kucnuti (perfective) |
|---|---|---|
| ja | kucam | kucnem |
| ti | kucaš | kucneš |
| on/ona/ono | kuca | kucne |
| mi | kucamo | kucnemo |
| vi | kucate | kucnete |
| oni/one/ona | kucaju | kucnu |
8.2 Zadatak 1: Odaberi točan oblik glagola
Complete each sentence by choosing the correct verb form in the present tense. To do so, pay attention to both the meaning and the grammatical structure of the sentence.
8.2 Zadatak 2: Točno ili netočno?
Identify if the sentence is grammatically and logically correct.
8.2 Zadatak 3: Dovrši rečenice
Complete the sentences by writing the correct present tense form of the appropriate verb from the list below.
- kucati, pokucati, kucnuti
🗣️ To yell
Verbs VIKATI and VIKNUTI (to yell)
* There is also the verb povikati (perfective verb). In Present tense, the first person singular is ja povičem.
| Subject | vikati (imperfective) | viknuti (perfective) |
|---|---|---|
| ja | vičem | viknem |
| ti | vičeš | vikneš |
| on/ona/ono | viče | vikne |
| mi | vičemo | viknemo |
| vi | vičete | viknete |
| oni/one/ona | viču | viknu |
8.2 Zadatak 4: Odaberi točan oblik glagola
Complete each sentence by choosing the correct verb form in the present tense. To do so, pay attention to both the meaning and the grammatical structure of the sentence.
8.2 Zadatak 5: Točno ili netočno?
Identify if the sentence is grammatically and logically correct.
8.2 Zadatak 6: Dovrši rečenice
Complete the sentences by writing the correct present tense form of the appropriate verb from the list below.
- vikati, povikati, viknuti
🪑 To sit [down]
Verbs SJEDATI and SJESTI (to sit down)
| Subject | sjedati (imperfective) | sjesti (perfective) |
|---|---|---|
| ja | sjedam | sjednem |
| ti | sjedaš | sjedneš |
| on/ona/ono | sjeda | sjedne |
| mi | sjedamo | sjednemo |
| vi | sjedate | sjednete |
| oni/one/ona | sjedaju | sjednu |
8.2 Zadatak 7: Odaberi točan oblik glagola
Complete each sentence by choosing the correct verb form in the present tense. To do so, pay attention to both the meaning and the grammatical structure of the sentence.
8.2 Zadatak 8: Točno ili netočno?
Identify if the sentence is grammatically and logically correct.
8.2 Zadatak 9: Dovrši rečenice
Complete the sentences by writing the correct present tense form of the appropriate verb from the list below.
- sjedati, sjesti
🫵 To show
Verbs POKAZIVATI and POKAZATI (to show)
| Subject | pokazivati (imperfective) | pokazati (perfective) |
|---|---|---|
| ja | pokazujem | pokažem |
| ti | pokazuješ | pokažeš |
| on/ona/ono | pokazuje | pokaže |
| mi | pokazujemo | pokažemo |
| vi | pokazujete | pokažete |
| oni/one/ona | pokazuju | pokažu |
8.2 Zadatak 10: Odaberi točan oblik glagola
Complete each sentence by choosing the correct verb form in the present tense. To do so, pay attention to both the meaning and the grammatical structure of the sentence.
8.2 Zadatak 11: Točno ili netočno?
Identify if the sentence is grammatically and logically correct.
8.2 Zadatak 12: Dovrši rečenice
Complete the sentences by writing the correct present tense form of the appropriate verb from the list below.
- pokazivati, pokazati
Media Attributions
- U8_L2_Grammar_p2
- U8_L2_Grammar_p3
- U8_L2_Grammar_p4
- U8_L2_Grammar_p1
