Almost no to-form: hoću da idem
Where English puts the to-infinitive ("I want to go"), Serbian puts da plus an ordinary verb in the right person: hoću da idem — literally "I want that I go". For example: “Хоћу да једем” — I want to eat. A rule from the Serbian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Where English puts the to-infinitive ("I want to go"), Serbian puts da plus an ordinary verb in the right person: hoću da idem — literally "I want that I go".
An infinitive does exist in the language (ići, jesti), but in conversation you will almost never hear it — hearing it is a sure sign of written or foreign-flavored speech, especially in Serbia.
The construction works after every "modal" word: mogu da — I can, moram da — I must, hoću da — I want to. Learn one pattern and you own them all.
By example
- Хоћу да једемHoću da jedemI want to eat
- Морам да радимMoram da radimI need to work
- Можеш ли да поновиш?Možeš li da ponoviš?Can you repeat that?
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Why hoću da idem and not hoću ići?
Where English puts the to-infinitive ("I want to go"), Serbian puts da plus an ordinary verb in the right person: hoću da idem — literally "I want that I go".
Does Serbian have an infinitive?
An infinitive does exist in the language (ići, jesti), but in conversation you will almost never hear it — hearing it is a sure sign of written or foreign-flavored speech, especially in Serbia.
How to say I want to go in Serbian?
The construction works after every "modal" word: mogu da — I can, moram da — I must, hoću da — I want to. Learn one pattern and you own them all.
Why Serbian puts da after mogu and moram?
The construction works after every "modal" word: mogu da — I can, moram da — I must, hoću da — I want to. Learn one pattern and you own them all.
What does it look like in an example sentence Serbian?
“Хоћу да једем” (Hoću da jedem) — I want to eat. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.