Ući ("to enter, come in, go in") is ići ("to go") plus the prefix u- ("into"). That prefix does two things at once: it makes the verb perfective (a single completed entering) and it pre-announces the preposition you will use — ući u ("enter into"). It is one of the cleanest illustrations of the Croatian prefixed-motion system, and it pairs naturally with its opposite, izaći ("go out"). Learn this pair together and you have the whole "in and out the door" of the language.
Aspect
Ući (perfective) and ulaziti (imperfective) form a directional motion pair. The perfective marks one completed entry; the imperfective covers entering as a process or a habit ("people are coming in", "I enter through the back every day").
| Perfective | Imperfective | |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | ući | ulaziti |
| Core sense | enter, come/go in (one completed entry) | be entering, enter (process, habit, repeated) |
| Present meaning | future / subordinate (uđem ≠ "I'm entering now") | true present (ulazim = "I'm coming in / I go in") |
| Typical use | Uđi! "Come in!" | Polako ulazimo. "We're going in slowly." |
Present tense
Ući uses the ići present stem id- with the u- prefix, and the d + j seam jotates to đ: stem uđ-, e-class endings. Ulaziti is a regular i-class verb on the stem ulaz-.
| Person | ući (pf — future/subordinate sense) | ulaziti (impf — true present) |
|---|---|---|
| ja | uđem | ulazim |
| ti | uđeš | ulaziš |
| on/ona/ono | uđe | ulazi |
| mi | uđemo | ulazimo |
| vi | uđete | ulazite |
| oni/one/ona | uđu | ulaze |
Ljudi već ulaze u dvoranu, požuri se.
People are already going into the hall, hurry up. — imperfective 'ulaze' for the ongoing entering.
Reci mi čim uđeš u zgradu.
Tell me as soon as you get into the building. — perfective present 'uđeš' = a single future entry after 'čim'.
The l-participle
Ući's participle is irregular, built on the ići family's šao/šla pattern: masculine ušao, feminine ušla, neuter ušlo. Ulaziti is regular: ulazio, ulazila.
| Gender / number | ući | ulaziti |
|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | ušao | ulazio |
| feminine singular | ušla | ulazila |
| neuter singular | ušlo | ulazilo |
| masculine plural | ušli | ulazili |
| feminine plural | ušle | ulazile |
| neuter plural | ušla | ulazila |
Note the same -ao / -la alternation as the parent ići (išao / išla): masculine ušao has the -a-, feminine ušla drops it.
Perfect tense (perfekt)
Clitic biti + l-participle. Ući is not reflexive — no se.
| Person | ući (masc.) | ući (fem.) |
|---|---|---|
| ja | ušao sam | ušla sam |
| ti | ušao si | ušla si |
| on / ona | ušao je | ušla je |
| mi | ušli smo | ušle smo |
| vi | ušli ste | ušle ste |
| oni / one | ušli su | ušle su |
Ušli smo u kafić baš kad je počela kiša.
We went into the café just as it started raining. — perfective: one completed entry.
Ušla je tiho da nikoga ne probudi.
She came in quietly so as not to wake anyone. — feminine subject 'ušla'.
Future I (futur prvi)
Ući ends in -ći, so it stays full before the clitic: ući ću (no vowel dropped, exactly like ići ću, doći ću). The imperfective is ulazit ću (drops -i). See future one.
| Person | ući | ulaziti |
|---|---|---|
| ja | ući ću | ulazit ću |
| ti | ući ćeš | ulazit ćeš |
| on/ona/ono | ući će | ulazit će |
| mi | ući ćemo | ulazit ćemo |
| vi | ući ćete | ulazit ćete |
| oni/one/ona | ući će | ulazit će |
Ući ćemo na sporedni ulaz, glavni je zatvoren.
We'll go in through the side entrance, the main one is closed.
Imperative
Built on the uđ- stem with i-class endings: uđi, uđimo, uđite. Uđi! ("Come in!") is the standard response to a knock on the door.
| Person | ući | ulaziti |
|---|---|---|
| ti | uđi | ulazi |
| mi | uđimo | ulazimo |
| vi | uđite | ulazite |
Uđi, otvoreno je!
Come in, it's open!
Izvolite, uđite i sjednite.
Please, come in and sit down (pl./formal).
Conditional I (kondicional prvi)
bih-clitics + l-participle.
| Person | ući (masc.) |
|---|---|
| ja | ušao bih |
| ti | ušao bi |
| on/ona/ono | ušao/ušla/ušlo bi |
| mi | ušli bismo |
| vi | ušli biste |
| oni/one/ona | ušli bi |
Ušao bih, ali nemam ključ.
I'd go in, but I don't have a key.
Other forms
- Passive participle: none — ući is intransitive (no direct object), so it forms no passive participle. The related noun is ulaz ("entrance, entry").
- Verbal adverbs: the imperfective gives the present verbal adverb ulazeći ("[while] entering"); the perfective gives the past verbal adverb ušavši ("having entered"), literary.
Ušavši u sobu, odmah je osjetio miris kave.
On entering the room, he immediately smelled coffee. — past verbal adverb 'ušavši' (literary).
Government — direction
1. ući u + accusative — "enter (into)"
The destination takes the accusative of direction after u, never the locative. The prefix u- and the preposition u mirror each other — this is the harmony the prefixed system gives you: ući u kuću "enter the house", ući u auto "get into the car". The case switch is what separates motion from rest: u kuću (accusative, going in) vs u kući (locative, being inside). See accusative for motion.
Uđi u kuću, hladno je vani.
Come into the house, it's cold outside. — 'u' + accusative 'kuću' (direction).
Ušao je u auto i odvezao se.
He got into the car and drove off. — 'u' + accusative 'auto'.
2. ući na + accusative — surfaces and a fixed set
A few destinations take na rather than u (matching the general u/na split): ući na pozornicu "go onto the stage", ući na teren "come onto the pitch". See u vs na.
Glumci su ušli na pozornicu uz veliki pljesak.
The actors came onto the stage to great applause. — 'na' + accusative for a surface/stage.
3. Figurative uses
Ući extends naturally to abstract "entering": ući u trag "pick up the trail", ući u modu "come into fashion", ući u povijest "go down in history".
Ta je pjesma brzo ušla u modu.
That song quickly came into fashion. — figurative 'ući u modu'.
Common Mistakes
❌ Uđem za minutu, samo da nađem ključ.
Aspect error — 'on my way in now' is the imperfective present; perfective 'uđem' can't mean 'right now'. Use 'ulazim' or recast.
✅ Evo me, ulazim.
Here I am, I'm coming in.
❌ Ušao sam u kući.
Wrong case — entering a place is the accusative of direction 'u kuću', not the locative 'u kući' (= static 'inside the house').
✅ Ušao sam u kuću.
I went into the house.
❌ Ja ću ući kasnije.
Clitic misplacement — when another word can host it, the clitic goes to second position: 'Ući ću kasnije' or 'Kasnije ću ući', not stranded after 'ja'.
✅ Ući ću kasnije.
I'll go in later.
❌ Ušao sam se u sobu.
Wrong — 'ući' is not reflexive; there is no 'se': 'ušao sam u sobu'.
✅ Ušao sam u sobu.
I entered the room.
Key Takeaways
- Ući (pf, "enter") / ulaziti (impf, "be entering, enter habitually") — the perfective is the base form (Uđi! Ući ću).
- Perfective present uđem = future/subordinate; for "I'm coming in now" use the imperfective ulazim.
- Irregular l-participle ušao / ušla / ušlo; future ući ću (no -i drop, because of -ći).
- Government: accusative of direction after u (or na) — ući u kuću; the prefix u- matches the preposition u.
- Ući is not reflexive (no se) and forms no passive participle. Its opposite is izaći.
Now practice Croatian
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Croatian→Related Topics
- izaći / izlaziti (to exit / go out)A2 — Exiting, prefix iz-.
- Prefixed Directional Motion VerbsB1 — doći, otići, ući, izaći and their direction-encoding prefixes.
- Accusative for Motion and DirectionA2 — Prepositions of destination that take the accusative.
- ići (to go)A1 — Full reference for the basic motion verb 'to go'.
- u vs na (in/on/at a place)A2 — Which preposition names a place: u for enclosed/bounded spaces, countries and most cities; na for surfaces, open areas, islands, events and a fixed list of institutions — with the must-memorise na-list.
- Aspect, Prefixes, and Directional VerbsB2 — How prefixes turn ići-type motion into perfective directed verbs.