Word
Telefonirajući, gledao je kroz prozor.
Meaning
While talking on the phone, he was looking out the window.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Telefonirajući, gledao je kroz prozor.
prozor
window
gledati
to watch
kroz
through
telefonirati
to talk on the phone
Questions & Answers about Telefonirajući, gledao je kroz prozor.
How is telefonirajući formed in this sentence?
It is the present verbal adverb, which shows an action happening at the same time as the main verb. To make it, take the 3rd person plural present tense of the imperfective verb telefonirati (they phone = telefoniraju) and add -ći.
Could we use telefonirajući if someone else was on the phone while he looked out the window?
No. The present verbal adverb ending in -ći can only be used when both actions are performed by the exact same subject. Here, the same person is making the call and looking out the window. If two different people were involved, you would need to use a conjunction like dok (while).
Why does the present verbal adverb have to be formed from an imperfective verb like telefonirati?
Because this adverb describes an ongoing, continuous background action that overlaps with the main verb, it can only be made from imperfective verbs. You cannot build it from completed (perfective) actions.
What case is prozor in after the preposition kroz?
It is in the accusative case. The preposition kroz (through/out of) always requires the accusative. Because prozor (window) is a masculine inanimate noun, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its basic dictionary form.