predavati / predati (to hand over / submit) | Croatian Grammar

Predati is the verb of handing over — passing something into someone else's hands or care. From that single image grow three everyday meanings: you hand over / submit a document, a form, an exam; you teach a subject (you "deliver" knowledge to students); and reflexively you surrender / give up (you hand yourself over). The pair shares its root and present pattern with dati ("to give"): the imperfective present is predajem, built exactly like davati → dajem. Two case patterns matter here — the accusative thing handed over, and the dative of the person who receives it.

Aspect

Verb	Aspect	Present 1sg	Typical use
predati	perfective	predam	one completed handover / submission / surrender
predavati	imperfective	predajem	handing over (in progress); repeated; and "to teach / lecture"

The two members divide the labour neatly, and the "teach" sense lives almost entirely in the imperfective: teaching is by nature an ongoing activity, so you predaješ (teach) but you do not normally predati a subject. The perfective predati is for the single act of handing over — submitting the form, turning in the exam, surrendering. Note the present-stem swap, identical to davati: drop -ava-, add -aje- → predajem. See the aspect overview.

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One verb, three lives: predati / predavati = "hand over / submit" (a form, an exam); predavati (impf only) = "to teach, to lecture" — whence predavanje "a lecture" and predavač "lecturer"; and reflexive predati se = "to surrender, give up". The present is predajem, like davati → dajem, not *predavam.

Present tense

Person	predati (pf)	predavati (impf)
ja	predam	predajem
ti	predaš	predaješ
on/ona/ono	preda	predaje
mi	predamo	predajemo
vi	predate	predajete
oni/one/ona	predaju	predaju

The perfective present predam carries a future flavour: čim predam zahtjev, javim ti ("as soon as I submit the application, I'll let you know"). For the activity in progress — and for teaching — you use the imperfective predajem.

Predajem matematiku u srednjoj školi.

I teach maths at a secondary school. — 'teach' sense, imperfective 'predajem'.

Čim predam ispit, idem na kavu.

As soon as I hand in the exam, I'm going for a coffee. — perfective 'predam', future flavour.

The l-participle

Both are regular -ati verbs: masculine predao, feminine predala; imperfective predavao, predavala.

Gender / number	predati	predavati
masculine singular	predao	predavao
feminine singular	predala	predavala
neuter singular	predalo	predavalo
masculine plural	predali	predavali
feminine plural	predale	predavale
neuter plural	predala	predavala

Perfect tense (perfekt)

Clitic biti + l-participle. The everyday "I submitted / handed in" is the perfective predao sam / predala sam; the imperfective predavao sam is for the past habit of teaching.

Person	Masculine subject	Feminine subject
ja	predao sam	predala sam
ti	predao si	predala si
on / ona	predao je	predala je
mi	predali smo	predale smo
vi	predali ste	predale ste
oni / one	predali su	predale su

Predala sam zahtjev još u ponedjeljak.

I submitted the application back on Monday. — single completed handover.

Godinama je predavao povijest na fakultetu.

He taught history at the university for years. — imperfective, a past habit / career.

Future I (futur prvi)

Predati → predat ću (drops -i); predavati → predavat ću.

Person	predati	predavati
ja	predat ću	predavat ću
ti	predat ćeš	predavat ćeš
on/ona/ono	predat će	predavat će
mi	predat ćemo	predavat ćemo
vi	predat ćete	predavat ćete
oni/one/ona	predat će	predavat će

Predat ću dokumente sutra ujutro na šalteru.

I'll submit the documents tomorrow morning at the counter.

Imperative

The perfective predaj! ("hand it over! / submit it!"); the imperfective predavaj! leans toward "keep teaching / keep submitting".

Person	predati (pf)	predavati (impf)
ti	predaj	predavaj
mi	predajmo	predavajmo
vi	predajte	predavajte

Predaj test, vrijeme je isteklo.

Hand in the test, time's up. — perfective imperative 'predaj'.

Conditional I (kondicional prvi)

bih-clitics + l-participle — for polite requests and hypotheticals.

Person	Form (masc.)
ja	predao bih
ti	predao bi
on/ona/ono	predao/predala/predalo bi
mi	predali bismo
vi	predali biste
oni/one/ona	predali bi

Predao bih prijavu danas, ali još čekam jednu potvrdu.

I'd submit the application today, but I'm still waiting for one certificate.

Other forms

Verbal adverb: imperfective predajući ("[while] handing over / teaching").
Derived nouns: predavanje ("a lecture / lesson" — academic), predavač / predavačica ("lecturer"), predaja ("submission / handover / surrender"). These cluster around the verb and are worth learning together.
Passive participle: predan, predana, predano ("handed over / submitted"; as an adjective predan also means "devoted, dedicated"). Used in the passive: Zahtjev je predan na vrijeme ("The application was submitted on time").

Zahtjev je predan na vrijeme i već je u obradi.

The application was submitted on time and is already being processed. — passive participle 'predan'.

Key uses and government

1. Hand over / submit: accusative thing + dative recipient

The core frame is accusative (the thing handed over) + dative (the person or office that receives it) — no preposition on the recipient, exactly as with dati. When the recipient is an institution you often name a counter or office, but a person recipient stays in the bare dative.

Predao sam ključeve novom stanaru.

I handed the keys over to the new tenant. — accusative 'ključeve' + dative 'stanaru'.

Molim vas, predajte obrazac službenici na šalteru.

Please hand the form to the clerk at the counter. — accusative 'obrazac' + dative 'službenici'.

See the accusative direct object and verbs that take the dative.

2. Teach / lecture: predavati (imperfective only) + accusative subject

In the "teach" sense the subject taught is the accusative object, and the learners (if named) go into the dative. Because teaching is inherently ongoing, this sense uses only the imperfective predavati — you never predaš a subject in this meaning.

Predaje hrvatski strancima već deset godina.

She's been teaching Croatian to foreigners for ten years. — accusative 'hrvatski' + dative 'strancima'.

Tko vam predaje fiziku ove godine?

Who teaches you physics this year? — dative 'vam' (the students) + accusative 'fiziku'.

3. Surrender / give up: predati se (reflexive)

With the reflexive se, the verb means "to surrender, give oneself up" — literally to hand yourself over — and by extension "to give up, throw in the towel". The party you surrender to (if named) goes into the dative. See the reflexive se.

Vojska se predala bez borbe.

The army surrendered without a fight. — reflexive 'predati se'.

Nemoj se predati, još ima vremena.

Don't give up, there's still time. — reflexive 'predati se', 'throw in the towel' sense.

Common Mistakes

❌ Ja predavam engleski u školi.

Wrong present — 'predavati' goes like 'davati': drop -ava-, add -aje- → 'predajem'.

✅ Predajem engleski u školi.

I teach English at school.

❌ Predao sam zahtjev za službenicu.

Wrong government — the recipient takes the bare dative, no 'za': 'službenici'.

✅ Predao sam zahtjev službenici.

I submitted the application to the clerk.

❌ Predao sam matematiku ove godine.

Aspect/sense error — 'teach' is imperfective only: 'predajem matematiku'. Perfective 'predao' would mean you handed maths over to someone.

✅ Predajem matematiku ove godine.

I teach maths this year.

❌ Vojnici su predali bez borbe.

Missing reflexive — 'surrender' needs 'se': 'predali su se'. Without 'se' it means they handed something over.

✅ Vojnici su se predali bez borbe.

The soldiers surrendered without a fight.

❌ Predati ću obrazac sutra.

The future drops the infinitive's final -i before the clitic: 'predat ću'.

✅ Predat ću obrazac sutra.

I'll submit the form tomorrow.

Key Takeaways

predati (pf, predam, predao) / predavati (impf, predajem, predavao) — the present goes like davati → dajem, never predavam.
"Hand over / submit" = accusative thing + bare dative recipient (predati zahtjev službenici).
"Teach / lecture" is imperfective only (predavati matematiku), accusative subject + dative learners; whence predavanje "lecture", predavač "lecturer".
Reflexive predati se = "surrender / give up"; the party surrendered to goes in the dative.
Passive participle predan ("submitted"; also the adjective "devoted"). Future drops -i: predat ću.

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