Many common verbs ending in -ati belong to the -em conjugation group. When forming the present tense, the a before the ending changes to e (and to u in the third-person plural). This shift mutates the preceding consonant—a process known as jotation.
Here are the most common consonant changes:
| Base | Mutated | Example | Present Tense |
|---|---|---|---|
| h | š | mahati (to wave) | mašem, mašu |
| k | č | skakati (to jump) | skačem, skaču |
| t | ć | šaptati (to whisper) | šapćem, šapću |
| s | š | pisati (to write) | pišem, pišu |
H to Š
When a verb base ends in h, it changes to š. For example, mahati (to wave) becomes mašem (I wave).
| I know that you are waving to him while he is on the swing. | Znam da mu mašeš dok je na ljuljački. |
| The children are shouting and waving from the swing. | Djeca viču i mašu s ljuljačke. |
K to Č
Verbs like skakati (to jump), plakati (to cry), and vikati (to shout) change the k to č.
| I jump from the slide into the sand. | Skačem s tobogana u pijesak. |
| The brothers are crying in the sand because they don't have a small shovel. | Braća plaču u pijesku jer nemaju lopaticu. |
T to Ć
Verbs like šaptati (to whisper) and skakutati (to hop) change the t to ć.
| I whisper a secret while we sit on the climbing frame. | Šapćem tajnu dok sjedimo na penjalici. |
| The boy hops in the sand and looks for the small shovel. | Dječak skakuće po pijesku i traži lopaticu. |
S to Š
Verbs like pisati (to write) and brisati (to wipe) change the s to š.
| I wipe the mud off the seesaw. | Brišem blato s klackalice. |
| I write a name in the sand and wave to a friend. | Pišem ime u pijesku i mašem prijatelju. |
Complex Clusters
Some verbs have wider consonant clusters that shift. For instance, slati (to send) changes the sl cluster to šlj (šaljem).
| I am sending you a message while I tie my shoes. | Šaljem ti poruku dok vežem cipele. |
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