CSV entry 6 taught to as a preposition of direction. This lesson takes the other to — the particle that turns a verb into an infinitive: I want to go, it is hard to say, he came to help.
Serbian has a true infinitive, ending in -ти or -ћи: радити (to work), ићи (to go), рећи (to say). But it also has a rival construction, да plus the present tense, and in Serbia this is the ordinary spoken form: хоћу да идем rather than хоћу ићи. Both are standard. The да construction is a Balkan areal feature; the infinitive is stronger in the west and in formal writing.
The infinitive survives everywhere in one place: it is the form the future tense is built from — ићи ћу, радићу.
Key Takeaways
- Infinitives end in -ти or -ћи: радити, знати, ићи, рећи, моћи - да + present replaces the infinitive after most verbs: хоћу да радим - The person of the да clause matches the main verb: хоћу да идем, хоће да иде - The tense inside a да clause is always present, whatever the main verb: хтео сам да идем - After modals both forms work: морам ићи / морам да идем - Purpose takes да: дошао сам да помогнем - The infinitive is obligatory in the future: радићу, ићи ћу
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12.1a Хоћу I-want да to идем I-go кући home 12.1b Hoću (HO-choo) I-want da (dah) to idem (EE-dem) I-go kući (KOO-chee) home
12.2a Морам I-must да to радим I-work сутра tomorrow 12.2b Moram (MO-ram) I-must da (dah) to radim (RA-deem) I-work sutra (SOO-tra) tomorrow
12.3a Морам I-must радити work-INF сутра tomorrow 12.3b Moram (MO-ram) I-must raditi (RA-dee-tee) work-INF sutra (SOO-tra) tomorrow
12.4a Тешко hard је is научити learn-INF српски Serbian 12.4b Teško (TESH-ko) hard je (yeh) is naučiti (na-OO-chee-tee) learn-INF srpski (SRP-skee) Serbian
12.5a Дошао came-MASC сам I-am да to помогнем I-help 12.5b Došao (DO-shao) came-MASC sam (sahm) I-am da (dah) to pomognem (po-MOG-nem) I-help
12.6a Не not могу I-can да to спавам I-sleep 12.6b Ne (neh) not mogu (MO-goo) I-can da (dah) to spavam (SPA-vam) I-sleep
12.7a Волим I-love да to читам I-read увече in-evening 12.7b Volim (VO-leem) I-love da (dah) to čitam (CHEE-tam) I-read uveče (OO-ve-che) in-evening
12.8a Треба it-is-necessary да to пожуримо we-hurry 12.8b Treba (TRE-ba) it-is-necessary da (dah) to požurimo (po-ZHOO-ree-mo) we-hurry
12.9a Хтео wanted-MASC сам I-am да to ти to-you кажем I-say нешто something 12.9b Hteo (HTE-o) wanted-MASC sam (sahm) I-am da (dah) to ti (tee) to-you kažem (KA-zhem) I-say nešto (NESH-to) something
12.10a Учим I-study да to свирам I-play гитару guitar-ACC 12.10b Učim (OO-cheem) I-study da (dah) to sviram (SVEE-ram) I-play gitaru (GEE-ta-roo) guitar-ACC
12.11a Идем I-go да to купим I-buy хлеб bread 12.11b Idem (EE-dem) I-go da (dah) to kupim (KOO-peem) I-buy hleb (hleb) bread
12.12a Радићу I-will-work цео whole дан day 12.12b Radiću (RA-dee-choo) I-will-work ceo (TSE-o) whole dan (dahn) day
12.13a Није is-not лако easy бити be-INF родитељ parent 12.13b Nije (NEE-yeh) is-not lako (LA-ko) easy biti (BEE-tee) be-INF roditelj (ro-DEE-tely) parent
12.14a Немој do-not да to бринеш you-worry 12.14b Nemoj (NE-moy) do-not da (dah) to brineš (BREE-nesh) you-worry
12.15a Нема there-is-not шта what да to се REFL каже be-said 12.15b Nema (NE-ma) there-is-not šta (shta) what da (dah) to se (seh) REFL kaže (KA-zhe) be-said
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12.1 Хоћу да идем кући. "I want to go home."
12.2 Морам да радим сутра. "I have to work tomorrow."
12.3 Морам радити сутра. "I have to work tomorrow."
12.4 Тешко је научити српски. "It's hard to learn Serbian."
12.5 Дошао сам да помогнем. "I came to help."
12.6 Не могу да спавам. "I can't sleep."
12.7 Волим да читам увече. "I like to read in the evening."
12.8 Треба да пожуримо. "We need to hurry."
12.9 Хтео сам да ти кажем нешто. "I wanted to tell you something."
12.10 Учим да свирам гитару. "I'm learning to play the guitar."
12.11 Идем да купим хлеб. "I'm going to buy bread."
12.12 Радићу цео дан. "I'll work all day."
12.13 Није лако бити родитељ. "It isn't easy to be a parent."
12.14 Немој да бринеш. "Don't worry."
12.15 Нема шта да се каже. "There's nothing to be said."
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12.1 Хоћу да идем кући.
12.2 Морам да радим сутра.
12.3 Морам радити сутра.
12.4 Тешко је научити српски.
12.5 Дошао сам да помогнем.
12.6 Не могу да спавам.
12.7 Волим да читам увече.
12.8 Треба да пожуримо.
12.9 Хтео сам да ти кажем нешто.
12.10 Учим да свирам гитару.
12.11 Идем да купим хлеб.
12.12 Радићу цео дан.
12.13 Није лако бити родитељ.
12.14 Немој да бринеш.
12.15 Нема шта да се каже.
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These are the rules for the infinitive and its substitute.
1. Form. The infinitive ends in -ти after a vowel or most consonants (радити, знати, писати, бити) and in -ћи for a smaller class (ићи, рећи, моћи, доћи, пећи). It is the dictionary form and the form from which the future is built.
2. да + present. Replace the infinitive with да plus the present tense, conjugated for the same subject as the main verb:
хоћу да идем — I want to go хоћеш да идеш — you want to go хоће да иде — he wants to go
The verb after да agrees with whoever is doing it. When the subjects differ, the construction is the only option: хоћу да идеш ("I want you to go") — where English needs a whole subordinate clause.
3. The tense inside a да clause is always present, regardless of the main verb:
Хтео сам да идем. — I wanted to go. Хтећу да идем. — I will want to go.
A past tense after да would change the meaning entirely, turning purpose into report.
4. Where both are possible. After the modals морати, моћи, хтети, смети, требати and after phase verbs почети, наставити, престати, both forms are correct. Морам радити and морам да радим differ only in register and region: the infinitive is more western, more formal, more written; the да clause is more eastern, more spoken, and standard throughout Serbia.
5. Where only да works. Purpose clauses (дошао сам да помогнем), commands after немој (немој да бринеш), and any clause with a different subject.
6. Where only the infinitive works. The future tense: радићу, ићи ћу, бићемо. Also impersonal predicates with an adjective, where the infinitive is far more natural: тешко је рећи, није лако бити родитељ — though тешко је да се каже exists.
7. требати. In careful Serbian, треба is impersonal and takes да: треба да идем ("I ought to go"). The personal use требам да идем is widespread in speech and disliked by prescriptivists. With a noun it is personal: треба ми одмор ("I need a rest"), as in Lesson 6.
Common Mistakes
Using an infinitive where the subject changes: *хоћу тебе ићи. Say хоћу да идеш.
Putting a past tense after да: *хтео сам да сам ишао. Say хтео сам да идем.
Building the future with да: *ћу да радим is heard in speech but is non-standard. Say радићу or ја ћу радити.
Translating English "to" twice: *идем да у купим is a beginner's blend of Lesson 6 and this lesson. Say идем да купим.
Using да after немој with an infinitive as well: *немој да бринути. Say немој да бринеш or немој бринути.
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The да construction is the clearest mark of Serbian's place in the Balkan Sprachbund. Bulgarian and Macedonian have lost the infinitive completely; Greek, Albanian and Romanian have reduced it to remnants; Serbian sits on the frontier, retaining the form but preferring the substitute. Move north-west from Belgrade toward Zagreb and the infinitive strengthens with every hundred kilometres, which is why moram ići sounds Croatian and морам да идем sounds Serbian, though both are correct Serbian.
Because of this, the choice is quietly diagnostic. Broadcasters in Belgrade use да; academic prose uses the infinitive; the two mix freely in the same paragraph without anyone noticing. Learners should acquire both and use да in speech.
Идем да… is how intentions are announced in daily life: идем да видим, идем да питам, идем да легнем. The construction is so habitual that the motion verb often carries no motion at all — иди реци му ("go tell him") is simply an emphatic imperative.
Нема шта да се каже and its relatives — нема шта да се ради, нема где да се седне — combine the existential нема of Lesson 11 with the reflexive passive and да. These impersonal chains are extremely common and worth learning whole.
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From Горски вијенац, Петар II Петровић Његош, 1847. Vladika Danilo argues that a nature will assert itself without instruction — and the passage runs on infinitives.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Тек scarcely што that вучад wolf-cubs за after мајком mother-INST помиле crawl-out F.1b Tek (tek) scarcely što (shto) that vučad (VOO-chad) wolf-cubs za (zah) after majkom (MY-kom) mother-INST pomile (PO-mee-le) crawl-out
F.2a играјућ playing-GER се REFL страшне fearsome-ACC.PL зубе teeth-ACC.PL своје own-ACC.PL F.2b igrajuć (ee-GRA-yooch) playing-GER se (seh) REFL strašne (STRASH-ne) fearsome-ACC.PL zube (ZOO-be) teeth-ACC.PL svoje (SVO-ye) own-ACC.PL
F.3a већ already умију they-know-how под under грлом throat-INST острити sharpen-INF F.3b već (vech) already umiju (OO-mee-yoo) they-know-how pod (pod) under grlom (GR-lom) throat-INST ostriti (OS-tree-tee) sharpen-INF
F.4a тек scarcely соколу falcon-DAT прво first перје plumage никне sprouts F.4b tek (tek) scarcely sokolu (SO-ko-loo) falcon-DAT prvo (PR-vo) first perje (PER-ye) plumage nikne (NEEK-ne) sprouts
F.5a он he не not може can више any-more мировати rest-INF F.5b on (on) he ne (neh) not može (MO-zhe) can više (VEE-she) any-more mirovati (mee-RO-va-tee) rest-INF
F.6a него but своје own-ACC размеће scatters гнијездо nest-ACC F.6b nego (NE-go) but svoje (SVO-ye) own-ACC razmeće (raz-ME-che) scatters gnijezdo (GNYEZ-do) nest-ACC
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Тек што вучад за мајком помиле, играјућ се страшне зубе своје већ умију под грлом острити; тек соколу прво перје никне, он не може више мировати, него своје размеће гнијездо.
"No sooner do the wolf cubs crawl out after their mother than, in their play, they already know how to sharpen their fearsome teeth beneath the throat; no sooner does the falcon's first plumage grow than he can rest no longer, but scatters his own nest."
F-C: Original Only
Тек што вучад за мајком помиле, играјућ се страшне зубе своје већ умију под грлом острити; тек соколу прво перје никне, он не може више мировати, него своје размеће гнијездо.
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
умију … острити and не може … мировати are both modal plus infinitive — the construction of Section D §4, in the form Serbian poetry and formal prose prefer. Modern spoken Serbian would say умију да остре and не може више да мирује, with no change of meaning. Reading the two versions against each other is the quickest way to feel the difference in register.
играјућ is the present gerund met in Lesson 7 (идући), here apocopated for the metre from играјући. It is adverbial: "while playing."
вучад is a collective noun for the young of an animal, neuter singular in form and taking plural agreement — вучад помиле. Serbian has a productive class of these: телад (calves), јагњад (lambs), пилад (chicks).
своје is the reflexive possessive of Lesson 9, and it appears twice: the cubs' own teeth, the falcon's own nest. Using његово would point to someone else's nest and destroy the sense.
за мајком and под грлом are instrumentals — of pursuit and of position respectively. Compare the accusative these prepositions would take with a verb of motion, as noted in Lesson 4.
соколу is a dative of possession: "to the falcon the first plumage sprouts," where English says "the falcon's first plumage." The construction is the one met in Lesson 9 with body parts.
The text is Ijekavian: гнијездо for Ekavian гнездо.
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Part A — Intralinear Construed Text
12.16a Шта what планираш you-plan да to радиш you-do овог this-GEN викенда weekend-GEN 12.16b Šta (shta) what planiraš (pla-NEE-rash) you-plan da (dah) to radiš (RA-deesh) you-do ovog (O-vog) this-GEN vikenda (VEE-ken-da) weekend-GEN
12.17a Хоћу I-want да to одем I-go на to планину mountain-ACC 12.17b Hoću (HO-choo) I-want da (dah) to odem (O-dem) I-go na (nah) to planinu (pla-NEE-noo) mountain-ACC
12.18a Мораш you-must рано early устати get-up-INF ако if хоћеш you-want да to стигнеш you-arrive 12.18b Moraš (MO-rash) you-must rano (RA-no) early ustati (OOS-ta-tee) get-up-INF ako (A-ko) if hoćeš (HO-chesh) you-want da (dah) to stigneš (STEEG-nesh) you-arrive
12.19a Знам I-know зато therefore идем I-go да to легнем I-lie-down рано early 12.19b Znam (znahm) I-know — zato (ZA-to) therefore idem (EE-dem) I-go da (dah) to legnem (LEG-nem) I-lie-down rano (RA-no) early
12.20a Могу I-can ли Q да to пођем I-set-out с with тобом you-INST 12.20b Mogu (MO-goo) I-can li (lee) Q da (dah) to pođem (PO-dyem) I-set-out s (s) with tobom (TO-bom) you-INST
12.21a Наравно of-course биће it-will-be лепше nicer у in двоје two-COLL 12.21b Naravno (NA-rav-no) of-course biće (BEE-che) it-will-be lepše (LEP-she) nicer u (oo) in dvoje (DVO-ye) two-COLL
12.22a Треба it-is-necessary да to понесемо we-take воде water-GEN и and нешто something да to једемо we-eat 12.22b Treba (TRE-ba) it-is-necessary da (dah) to ponesemo (po-NE-se-mo) we-take vode (VO-de) water-GEN i (ee) and nešto (NESH-to) something da (dah) to jedemo (YE-de-mo) we-eat
12.23a Немој do-not да to заборавиш you-forget добре good-ACC.PL ципеле shoes-ACC.PL 12.23b Nemoj (NE-moy) do-not da (dah) to zaboraviš (za-BO-ra-veesh) you-forget dobre (DOB-re) good-ACC.PL cipele (TSEE-pe-le) shoes-ACC.PL
12.24a Тешко hard је is ходати walk-INF по over камену stone-LOC у in патикама trainers-LOC.PL 12.24b Teško (TESH-ko) hard je (yeh) is hodati (HO-da-tee) walk-INF po (poh) over kamenu (KA-me-noo) stone-LOC u (oo) in patikama (pa-TEE-ka-ma) trainers-LOC.PL
12.25a Хтео wanted-MASC сам I-am да to питам I-ask колико how-long траје lasts успон ascent 12.25b Hteo (HTE-o) wanted-MASC sam (sahm) I-am da (dah) to pitam (PEE-tam) I-ask koliko (KO-lee-ko) how-long traje (TRA-ye) lasts uspon (OOS-pon) ascent
12.26a Око about три three сата hours-GEN ако if не not будемо we-be стајали stopping-PL 12.26b Oko (O-ko) about tri (tree) three sata (SA-ta) hours-GEN ako (A-ko) if ne (neh) not budemo (BOO-de-mo) we-be stajali (STA-ya-lee) stopping-PL
12.27a Волим I-love да to стајем I-stop и and да to гледам I-look 12.27b Volim (VO-leem) I-love da (dah) to stajem (STA-yem) I-stop i (ee) and da (dah) to gledam (GLE-dam) I-look
12.28a Онда then ћемо we-will кренути set-off-INF још even раније earlier 12.28b Onda (ON-da) then ćemo (CHE-mo) we-will krenuti (KRE-noo-tee) set-off-INF još (yosh) even ranije (RA-nee-ye) earlier
12.29a Није is-not лако easy устати get-up-INF у at пет five 12.29b Nije (NEE-yeh) is-not lako (LA-ko) easy ustati (OOS-ta-tee) get-up-INF u (oo) at pet (pet) five
12.30a Вреди it-is-worth видети see-INF излазак rising-ACC сунца sun-GEN 12.30b Vredi (VRE-dee) it-is-worth videti (VEE-de-tee) see-INF izlazak (eez-LA-zak) rising-ACC sunca (SOON-tsa) sun-GEN
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Part B — Natural Sentences
12.16 Шта планираш да радиш овог викенда? "What are you planning to do this weekend?"
12.17 Хоћу да одем на планину. "I want to go up to the mountain."
12.18 Мораш рано устати ако хоћеш да стигнеш. "You have to get up early if you want to make it."
12.19 Знам, зато идем да легнем рано. "I know — that's why I'm going to bed early."
12.20 Могу ли да пођем с тобом? "Can I come with you?"
12.21 Наравно, биће лепше у двоје. "Of course, it'll be nicer with two of us."
12.22 Треба да понесемо воде и нешто да једемо. "We should take water and something to eat."
12.23 Немој да заборавиш добре ципеле. "Don't forget proper shoes."
12.24 Тешко је ходати по камену у патикама. "It's hard to walk on stone in trainers."
12.25 Хтео сам да питам колико траје успон. "I meant to ask how long the climb takes."
12.26 Око три сата, ако не будемо стајали. "About three hours, if we don't keep stopping."
12.27 Волим да стајем и да гледам. "I like to stop and look."
12.28 Онда ћемо кренути још раније. "Then we'll set off even earlier."
12.29 Није лако устати у пет. "It isn't easy to get up at five."
12.30 Вреди видети излазак сунца. "It's worth seeing the sunrise."
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Part C — Target Language Only
12.16 Шта планираш да радиш овог викенда?
12.17 Хоћу да одем на планину.
12.18 Мораш рано устати ако хоћеш да стигнеш.
12.19 Знам, зато идем да легнем рано.
12.20 Могу ли да пођем с тобом?
12.21 Наравно, биће лепше у двоје.
12.22 Треба да понесемо воде и нешто да једемо.
12.23 Немој да заборавиш добре ципеле.
12.24 Тешко је ходати по камену у патикама.
12.25 Хтео сам да питам колико траје успон.
12.26 Око три сата, ако не будемо стајали.
12.27 Волим да стајем и да гледам.
12.28 Онда ћемо кренути још раније.
12.29 Није лако устати у пет.
12.30 Вреди видети излазак сунца.
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Part D — Grammar Notes for the Dialogue
Мораш рано устати ако хоћеш да стигнеш (12.18) — both constructions in one sentence: infinitive after морати, да clause after хтети. Serbs alternate them freely, often to avoid two да clauses in succession.
идем да легнем (12.19), могу ли да пођем (12.20) — purpose and permission, both requiring да.
у двоје (12.21) — the collective numeral of Lesson 11, here in an idiom: "as a pair, the two of us."
понесемо воде (12.22) — partitive genitive after a perfective verb of taking: "take some water."
нешто да једемо (12.22) — a да clause qualifying a noun, "something to eat." The same pattern gives немам шта да обучем ("I have nothing to wear").
Немој да заборавиш (12.23) — the standard negative imperative, gentler than не заборави.
Хтео сам да питам (12.25) — past main verb, present inside the да clause, as Section D §3 requires. English shifts the second verb too ("I meant to ask"); Serbian does not.
ако не будемо стајали (12.26) — the future exact (футур други), formed with буде plus the participle, and used in conditional and temporal clauses about the future. It is the one place the буде stem of Lesson 2 becomes indispensable.
Волим да стајем и да гледам (12.27) — when two verbs are coordinated, да is repeated before each.
Вреди видети (12.30) — impersonal вреди plus infinitive, one of the impersonal verbs of Lesson 10. Вреди да се види is possible but heavier.
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да (da): dah. Unstressed as a conjunction, and running straight into the following verb: да идем is da-EE-dem.
радити (raditi): RA-dee-tee. Three light syllables, stress on the first. Every -ти infinitive follows this pattern.
ићи (ići): EE-chee. Two syllables, the ћ soft. Contrast ићи ћу (EE-chee choo), the future, where two ћ sounds meet.
рећи (reći): RE-chee. And моћи (MO-chee), доћи (DO-chee), пећи (PE-chee) — the whole -ћи class behaves alike.
хоћу (hoću): HO-choo. Irregular present of хтети: хоћу, хоћеш, хоће, хоћемо, хоћете, хоће; negative нећу, нећеш, неће.
мировати (mirovati): mee-RO-va-tee. Four syllables. Verbs in -овати shift stress onto the second syllable.
гнијездо (gnijezdo): GNYEZ-do. The initial cluster гњ is a single palatal nasal after a g; take it slowly.
Infinitive versus да in rhythm: морам радити has two stresses, морам да радим has two stresses and an unstressed particle between them. The да form is slightly longer and, to a Serbian ear, slightly more conversational — the rhythm itself carries the register.
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