The Verb "Htjeti" (To Want)
To say that you want to do something, use the verb htjeti. Unlike most other verbs, it has two sets of present tense forms: full forms and short forms. To express desires, we use the full forms.
| Pronoun | Full form of "htjeti" |
|---|
| ja | hoću |
| ti | hoćeš |
| on / ona / ono | hoće |
| mi | hoćemo |
| vi | hoćete |
| oni / one / ona | hoće |
Combine these full forms with an infinitive verb to state what you want to buy, sell, or do.
Asking Questions and Negation
To ask if someone wants to do something, start the sentence with the full form of htjeti and add the question particle li.
To say someone does not want something, the negative particle merges with the verb to create special negative forms: neću, nećeš, neće, nećemo, nećete, neće.
To express what you will do (future plans and intentions), use the short (clitic) forms of htjeti paired with an infinitive.
| Pronoun | Short form |
|---|
| ja | ću |
| ti | ćeš |
| on / ona / ono | će |
| mi | ćemo |
| vi | ćete |
| oni / one / ona | će |
Because these short forms are clitics, they prefer the second position in a sentence. They typically follow the subject or an opening word like a time expression.
Future Tense Without Pronouns
If you drop the subject pronoun, the infinitive verb usually takes the first position in the sentence. When an infinitive ending in -ti comes directly before the short form of htjeti, it loses its final -i (for example, ostati becomes ostat).