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Croatian

### Changing the Stem for Aspect

In previous lessons, we formed perfective verbs by adding prefixes to imperfective verbs (like **pisati** to **napisati**). Another common way to create aspectual pairs in Croatian is by changing the verb's suffix or altering its stem. 

Often, longer suffixes like **-ivati** or **-avati** mark an ongoing, imperfective action, while a shorter suffix marks a completed, perfective action.

### Showing and Ordering

Let's look at verbs ending in **-ivati**. The imperfective verb **pokazivati** (to show) becomes perfective by shortening the suffix to **pokazati**. Similarly, **naručivati** (to order) becomes **naručiti**. 

Notice how the present tense frequently uses the imperfective for ongoing actions, while the past tense often relies on the perfective to emphasize completed events.

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### Negotiating Business

Another common stem change involves vowels shifting, such as an **-a-** in the imperfective changing to an **-o-** in the perfective. For example, **dogovarati** (to negotiate or arrange) becomes the perfective **dogovoriti** (to agree on or successfully arrange).

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Longer suffixes also apply to finishing tasks. The imperfective **završavati** describes the ongoing process of wrapping up work, while its perfective partner is **završiti**.

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### Signing Contracts and Paying Bills

When dealing with official documents like a contract (**ugovor**), the ongoing process of signing is **potpisivati**, while the completed action is **potpisati**.

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For payments, the imperfective **plaćati** (to be paying) pairs with the perfective **platiti** (to pay successfully). You will often see these perfective forms used when discussing future intentions, promises, or single obligations.

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Perfective verbs with stem changes

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

prep

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Singular pronouns and to be (sam, si, je)

Noun genders (-Ø, -a, -o/-e)

Demonstrative pronouns (ovaj, ova, ovo)

Plural pronouns and to be (smo, ste, su)

Masculine plural nouns (-i)

Feminine plural nouns (-e)

Neuter plural nouns (-a)

Full verb to be (jesam, jesi)

Negative verb to be (nisam, nisi)

Yes/no questions (je li)

Wh- questions (tko, gdje)

Formal vs informal address (ti vs Vi)

Regular present tense (-ati)

Regular present tense (-iti)

Regular present tense (-jeti)

Verb negation (ne)

The verb to have (imati / nemati)

Inanimate direct objects

Feminine direct objects (-u)

Plural direct objects (-e, -a)

Accusative pronouns (me, te, ga, ju)

Adjective agreement

Plural adjectives

Accusative adjectives

Numbers 1 to 10 (jedan, dva, tri)

The locative case (-u)

Feminine locative (-i)

The verb to go (ići)

Destination (u, na)

The genitive case (-a)

Accusative pronouns (nas, vas, ga, ih)

Animate masculine accusative (-a)

Adjective agreement for animate masculine (-og, -eg)

The verb can (moći)

The verb must (morati)

The verb to want (htjeti, hoću)

The future tense (ću/ćeš + infinitive)

The past tense: l-participle (radio, radila)

Past tense word order (Prvo sam radio...)

Past tense with plural subjects (-li, -le, -la)

Feminine genitive singular (-e)

Possession and origin (od, iz)

Negative existence (nema)

Numbers 2, 3, and 4

Genitive plural (-a)

Numbers 11 to 20

Past tense negation (nisam)

Past tense questions (jeste li)

Dative singular

Dative pronouns (ti, mu, joj)

Past tense negation (nisam, nisi...)

Double object pronouns (mu ga, ti ju...)

Reflexive verbs (se)

Reflexive clitic word order

Commands and requests (radi, radite)

Plural demonstratives (ovi, ove, ova)

Possessive determiners (moj, naš, njegov)

Greetings (Dobar dan, doviđenja)

The body: Boli me glava

Directions (lijevo, desno, ravno)

There is, there are (ima)

Politeness (molim vas, hvala lijepa)

How you feel (Sviđa mi se)

Counting by tens to 100 (trideset, četrdeset...)

Quantifiers with the genitive case (malo, puno...)

Adjective agreement in the genitive singular (-og, -e)

Adjective agreement in the genitive plural (-ih)

Genitive prepositions (kod, do, bez...)

Asking what kind and which (kakav, koji)

Possessive determiners (njegov, njezin...)

Possessives in the accusative case

The reflexive possessive (svoj)

Indefinite pronouns (netko, nešto, neki)

Negative pronouns (nitko, ništa)

The verb to need (trebati)

Reciprocal verbs (se)

Introduction to verbal aspect

Perfective verbs with prefixes

Irregular perfective verbs

Aspect in the past tense

Aspect in the future tense

Vehicular motion (voziti se, putovati)

Arrival and departure ('doći', 'otići')

Entering and exiting ('ući', 'izaći')

Singular accompaniment ('s', 'sa')

Plural instrumental nouns (-ima, -ama)

Question	Answer
to show (imperfective)	pokazivati
She is showing the office to the client now.	Ona sada pokazuje ured klijentu.
Someone showed this office.	Netko je pokazao ovaj ured.
What are you showing the client?	Što pokazujete klijentu?
to order (imperfective)	naručivati
We often order coffee and tea.	Često naručujemo kavu i čaj.
I wasn't ordering anything, but someone ordered paper.	Nisam ništa naručivao, ali netko je naručio papir.
to negotiate	dogovarati
discount	popust
We are negotiating a discount for some clients now.	Sada dogovaramo popust za neke klijente.
They always arrange a good job.	Oni uvijek dogovaraju dobar posao.
to agree on	dogovoriti
We finally agreed on the discount.	Konačno smo dogovorili popust.
Did you arrange the meeting?	Jeste li dogovorili sastanak?
to finish (imperfective)	završavati
I am finishing work and going home.	Završavam posao i idem kući.
When are you finishing the project?	Kada završavate projekt?
to sign	potpisivati
contract / treaty	ugovor
The director is signing the contract now.	Direktor sada potpisuje ugovor.
We do not sign blank paper.	Ne potpisujemo prazan papir.
to sign (perfective)	potpisati
Did you sign the new contract yesterday?	Jeste li jučer potpisali novi ugovor?
I didn't sign anything.	Nisam ništa potpisao.
to pay (imperfective)	plaćati
We were not paying the bills on time.	Nismo plaćali račune na vrijeme.
Do you pay immediately?	Plaćate li odmah?
I want to order a new computer.	Želim naručiti novo računalo.
We must arrange a meeting today.	Moramo danas dogovoriti sastanak.
The director will sign the contract tomorrow.	Direktor će sutra potpisati ugovor.
I will pay the bill for the dinner.	Ja ću platiti račun za večeru.
to invite (perfective)	pozvati
I invited my friends to dinner.	Pozvao sam prijatelje na večeru.
We called in the doctor.	Pozvali smo liječnika.
to suggest, to propose (perfective)	predložiti
I proposed a new plan.	Predložio sam novi plan.
She suggested a good idea.	Ona je predložila dobru ideju.

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