pomagati / pomoći (to help)

Pomagati / pomoći ("to help") is the textbook example of a Croatian verb whose government collides with English: it takes the dative, not the accusative. English "help someone" looks like a direct object, so learners instinctively reach for the accusative — but in Croatian you "help to someone". Pomozi mi! ("Help me!") uses the dative mi, not the accusative me. Get this one case right and you avoid the single most common B1-level error with this verb. As a bonus, pomoći is a -ći verb with the g → z / g → ž alternations that recur across the language.

The aspect pair

Pomoći is perfective (a single, completed act of help); pomagati is the imperfective partner (habitual or ongoing help). Note that both stems show a velar alternation off the root pomog-: the imperfective present softens g → ž (pomažem), and the perfective imperative softens g → z (pomozi). The aspect framework is on aspect overview.

pomoći — present (pomognem)

The perfective pomoći builds its present on the stem pomogn- with e-class endings. As a perfective, this "present" has future/subordinate meaning (čim mogu, pomognem "as soon as I can, I help").

pomagati — present (pomažem)

The imperfective pomagati takes its present from the softened stem pomaž- (g → ž) with e-class endings: pomažem, pomažeš … pomažu.

The l-participle

Pomoći's masculine singular is pomogao (with vocalised -l on the pomog- root); the feminine and the rest drop back to pomog- + l-: pomogla, pomoglo, pomogli. The imperfective is regular: pomagao, pomagala.

Perfect tense (perfekt)

Clitic biti + l-participle. Pomogao sam ti states one completed help; pomagao sam ti describes recurring help over time.

Future I (futur prvi)

Pomoći ends in -ći and stays full before the clitic (no dropped vowel): pomoći ću. Pomagati drops -i: pomagat ću.

Imperative

The perfective imperative shows the second-palatalisation g → z: pomozi! ("help!"). A regular by-form pomogni (from pomogn-) is also used and widely heard; both are standard. The imperfective is pomaži.

Conditional I (kondicional prvi)

Other forms

• Passive participle: there is no personal passive — pomoći governs the dative, not the accusative, so it cannot passivise the way an accusative-object verb does. The related noun is pomoć ("help, aid"), feminine.
• Present verbal adverb (pomagati): pomažući ("while helping") — Proveo je ljeto pomažući na farmi "He spent the summer helping on the farm."

Key uses and government

1. pomoći nekomu — DATIVE of the person helped

This is the heart of the page. The person you help is in the dative, not the accusative. The clitic series is therefore mi, ti, mu, joj, nam, vam, im — never me, te, ga, je, nas, vas, ih.

2. The task: oko / s(a) + case, or a da-clause / infinitive

What you help with can be framed as oko + genitive (pomoći oko prijevoda "help with the translation"), s(a) + instrumental (pomoći s kovčezima "help with the suitcases"), or a clause. For the purpose, Croatian prefers a da-clause (pomozi mi da ovo riješim "help me solve this") but also allows the bare infinitive (pomozi mi riješiti ovo). The da vs infinitive choice is covered on da vs the infinitive.

3. pomagati in a profession / cause

The imperfective is the natural choice for ongoing, generalised helping — charity, support, a helping role.

Common Mistakes

Key Takeaways

• Pomoći (pf, one completed help) / pomagati (impf, habitual or ongoing help).
• Government is the DATIVE of the person — pomozi mi, pomažem prijateljima — never the accusative. This is the defining trap.
• Stems off the root pomog-: perfective present pomognem, imperfective present pomažem (g → ž), imperative pomozi (g → z), participle pomogao / pomogla.
• The task takes oko
  • genitive, s(a)
    • instrumental, or a da-clause (preferred) / infinitive.
• Future pomoći ću (the -ći infinitive stays full); no personal passive participle, since the verb is not accusative-governing.