Word
Ako on ne dođe na vrijeme, vjerojatno ću otići.
Meaning
If he does not come on time, I will probably leave.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Ako on ne dođe na vrijeme, vjerojatno ću otići.
on
he
ne
no, not
htjeti
to want (intent, will)
doći
to come, to arrive
Questions & Answers about Ako on ne dođe na vrijeme, vjerojatno ću otići.
Why is ne dođe in the present tense if we are talking about a future event?
In Croatian, real 'if' conditions (things that might actually happen) use ako followed by the present tense, even when referring to the future. The second part of the sentence then uses the future tense (ću otići) to show what the result will be.
Since dođe is present tense, why do we use the completed verb doći instead of dolaziti?
In 'if' clauses about the future, Croatian often uses the present tense form of completed (perfective) verbs. Using dođe focuses on the single, completed event of him arriving. If you used the ongoing verb dolazi, it would mean 'If he isn't in the process of arriving'.
Why is the future tense word ću placed right after vjerojatno?
ću is an enclitic, which means it is a short word that strictly belongs in the second position of its clause. The comma restarts the position counting, making vjerojatno the first word of the new clause, so ću naturally takes the second spot.
Does na vrijeme literally translate to 'on time'?
Yes! Na means 'on' or 'at', and vrijeme means 'time' (though it also means 'weather' in other contexts). Put together, na vrijeme perfectly matches the English phrase 'on time'.