The Verb "Morati" (Must)
To express obligations, rules, or things you simply have to do, use the modal verb morati (must / to have to). Unlike some other modal verbs, its present tense conjugation is very regular.
| Pronoun | Form of "morati" |
|---|---|
| ja | moram |
| ti | moraš |
| on / ona / ono | mora |
| mi | moramo |
| vi | morate |
| oni / one / ona | moraju |
Using "Morati" with an Infinitive
Just like in English, morati is followed by the main action verb in its infinitive form. This is perfect for talking about tasks you need to complete, such as završiti (to finish), platiti (to pay), or čistiti (to clean).
| Today I must finish the job. | Danas moram završiti posao. |
| You must pay the bill immediately. | Moraš odmah platiti račun. |
| The workers must clean the hotel. | Radnici moraju čistiti hotel. |
Asking Questions
To ask if someone has to do something, start the sentence with the conjugated form of morati and immediately add the question particle li.
| Do we have to write a letter? | Moramo li pisati pismo? |
Using Pronouns with "Morati"
When you replace a noun with a short object pronoun—like using ga (it / him) instead of repeating pravilo (rule) or posao (job)—the pronoun usually tucks in right after the first conjugated verb in the sentence. In these sentences, that means ga comes immediately after the form of morati and before the infinitive.
| I must finish it tonight. | Moram ga završiti večeras. |
| That is a new rule and we must respect it. | To je novo pravilo i moramo ga poštovati. |
