When you want to talk about doing one thing instead of another, Croatian uses a simple clausal structure.
In English, you might say "instead of studying" using an -ing verb. In Croatian, you use the conjunction umjesto da (instead of) followed by a fully conjugated verb in the present tense. Literally, you are saying "instead of that I study."
| Instead of studying, I am lying on the couch and watching a TV series. | Umjesto da učim, ležim na kauču i gledam seriju. |
Notice how the verb following umjesto da matches the subject of the action.
| Instead of playing video games, he has to concentrate on the task. | Umjesto da igra igrice, on se mora koncentrirati na zadatak. |
| Instead of wasting time on the couch, do something useful. | Umjesto da gubiš vrijeme na kauču, napravi nešto korisno. |
Talking About Procrastination
This structure is perfect for talking about bad habits, like procrastinating or getting distracted.
| Instead of thinking about the problem, she just postpones it. | Umjesto da razmišlja o problemu, ona ga samo odgađa. |
You can also use it to describe everyday digital distractions.
| Instead of listening to him, I am browsing the internet. | Umjesto da ga slušam, ja pretražujem internet. |
| Instead of having a little coffee and watching a TV series, I am trying to concentrate. | Umjesto da pijem kavicu i gledam seriju, trudim se koncentrirati. |
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