EasyCroatian_r47.an
Easy Croaan (rev. 47b) / 49 For 7 Hours: Definite Periods 286 / 600This is worth remembering:not anymore still ongoingCroatian past tense present tenseEnglish Past Present PerfectIf you use the present tense, it means it still goes on; if it’s something thathappened only in the past, use the past tense. Croatian is here much simpler andlogical (at least from my point of view) than English.In all uses described above, the periods in currently ongoing actions are oftenemphasized with već already, which has a weakened meaning and is often nottranslated:Ivan N već dvije godine živi u Zagrebu DL . Ivan has lived in Zagreb for two years.With almost all perfective verbs, it’s impossible to say how long the action lasted,but it’s possible to express the ‘time frame’ of the action, and the meaning is moreor less the same. Interestingly, English also distinguishes duration from ‘frames’:‘time frames’ use the preposition in. In Croatian, you should use the preposition za¨+ time phrase:Čitao sam knjigu A dva dana 24 . I was reading the book for two days. (impf.)Pročitao sam knjigu A za dva dana 24 . I’ve read the book in two days. (perf.)This gives you a good clue when to use perf. verbs in Croatian: if you feel that anexpression like in a day would fit into the sentence, use a perf. verb in Croatian.Pay attention that Croatian za¨ usually translates to English for, but it’s not so here.The same works for times until a moment in the future, they are expressed with za¨+ time phrase as well:Pročitat ću knjigu A za jedan dan A . I’ll read the book in a day.Pročitat ću knjigu A za par dana G . I’ll read the book in a couple of days.The time-phrase rule is a bit relaxed when you use za¨, so you’ll occasionally hearexpressions with only one word:Pročitao sam knjigu A za jedan dan A . I’ve read the book in a day.Pročitao sam knjigu A za jednu noć A . I’ve read the book in a night.fPročitao sam knjigu A za dan A . (the same meaning, sometimes heard)Now, the English preposition for is also used in sentences like this:(1) I’m leaving for two days.(2) I’ll leave for a week.There’s a subtle difference. In Croatian, ‘leave’ is a motion, going somewhere else. Itwon’t take two days (or a week) to get there, you will rather go somewhere, spend
Easy Croaan (rev. 47b) / 49 For 7 Hours: Definite Periods 287 / 600some time there, and then you’ll return, and the whole thing will take two days (or aweek).In Croatian, if you want to express duration of the whole ‘round-trip’, that is, goingsomewhere – staying there – going back, where going back is implied, you have touse the preposition na¨ + A:(1) Odlazim na dva dana 24 .(2) Otići ću na tjedan A dana G .If you construct the sentence #1 without the na¨, it will sound extremely weird, as ifyou spent two days trying to leave, but you haven’t left yet. The sentence #2 will beungrammatical without a preposition, since the verb is, of course, perfective.Such ‘round-trip periods’ apply to all motion verbs that imply going somewhere, e.g.ići (ide, išao, išla) go, and to some other verbs that will be explained later (e.g.meaning borrow, etc.)This summarizes common time periods in English and Croatian (the accusative timephrases, marked with A*, must consist of two or more words, special phrases maybe used.):definite periodfor two days‘time frame’in two days‘round-trip’ (e.g. leave)for two daysA*dva danaza¨ + A ( * )za dva danana¨ + A*na dva danaTo ask how long something lasted, you can use koliko dugo (lit. ‘how much long’) orjust koliko:Koliko dugo si živio tamo? How long did you live there?— Jednu godinu A . For a year.Koliko ste bili u Hrvatskoj DL ? How long were you in Croatia?— Tjedan A dana G . For a week.Answers must be proper time periods, that is, in A, at least 2 words, special phrasescan be used, prepositions according to the rules for time periods.To ask about a ‘round-trip period’, you have to use na¨ before the question wordsexplained above. Answers will be again ‘round-trip periods’:Na koliko odlaziš? How long are you leaving for?— Na tjedan A dana G . For a week.These were ways to express how long something took. You often have to expresssomething else – when something was going on, in relation to the present or some
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Easy Croaan (rev. 47b) / 49 For 7 Hours: Definite Periods 286 / 600
This is worth remembering:
not anymore still ongoing
Croatian past tense present tense
English Past Present Perfect
If you use the present tense, it means it still goes on; if it’s something that
happened only in the past, use the past tense. Croatian is here much simpler and
logical (at least from my point of view) than English.
In all uses described above, the periods in currently ongoing actions are often
emphasized with već already, which has a weakened meaning and is often not
translated:
Ivan N već dvije godine živi u Zagrebu DL . Ivan has lived in Zagreb for two years.
With almost all perfective verbs, it’s impossible to say how long the action lasted,
but it’s possible to express the ‘time frame’ of the action, and the meaning is more
or less the same. Interestingly, English also distinguishes duration from ‘frames’:
‘time frames’ use the preposition in. In Croatian, you should use the preposition za¨
+ time phrase:
Čitao sam knjigu A dva dana 24 . I was reading the book for two days. (impf.)
Pročitao sam knjigu A za dva dana 24 . I’ve read the book in two days. (perf.)
This gives you a good clue when to use perf. verbs in Croatian: if you feel that an
expression like in a day would fit into the sentence, use a perf. verb in Croatian.
Pay attention that Croatian za¨ usually translates to English for, but it’s not so here.
The same works for times until a moment in the future, they are expressed with za¨
+ time phrase as well:
Pročitat ću knjigu A za jedan dan A . I’ll read the book in a day.
Pročitat ću knjigu A za par dana G . I’ll read the book in a couple of days.
The time-phrase rule is a bit relaxed when you use za¨, so you’ll occasionally hear
expressions with only one word:
Pročitao sam knjigu A za jedan dan A . I’ve read the book in a day.
Pročitao sam knjigu A za jednu noć A . I’ve read the book in a night.
f
Pročitao sam knjigu A za dan A . (the same meaning, sometimes heard)
Now, the English preposition for is also used in sentences like this:
(1) I’m leaving for two days.
(2) I’ll leave for a week.
There’s a subtle difference. In Croatian, ‘leave’ is a motion, going somewhere else. It
won’t take two days (or a week) to get there, you will rather go somewhere, spend
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