Questions & Answers about Moram čekati nekoliko minuta.
Which case is used after the word nekoliko in this sentence?
Indefinite quantifiers like nekoliko (a few), puno (a lot), and malo (a little) always require the genitive case. Since minutes are countable things, we use the genitive plural here.
If we need the plural, why does minuta look exactly like the singular dictionary word for "minute"?
This is a tricky coincidence! For many feminine nouns ending in -a, the genitive plural also ends in -a. So, minuta is actually the genitive plural here, not the nominative singular. You can tell it is plural because the word nekoliko is right in front of it.
Why is the verb čekati in its infinitive form here instead of being conjugated?
When you use a modal verb like morati (to have to / must), the main action verb that follows it stays in the infinitive (the basic dictionary form). "I must wait" is constructed as Moram (I must) + čekati (to wait).
Could I say malo minuta instead of nekoliko minuta?
It is grammatically possible since malo also takes the genitive case, but it sounds slightly unnatural. Nekoliko means "a few" and is perfect for countable things like minutes. If you want to use malo, it is better to use it as an adverb for the verb instead: Moram malo čekati (I have to wait a little).