Breakdown of Morat ćemo raskinuti ugovor, osim ako platite račun na vrijeme.
račun
bill
morati
must
platiti
to pay
htjeti
to want (intent, will)
na vrijeme
on time
ugovor
contract / treaty
ako
if
osim
except / besides, apart from
raskinuti
to terminate
Questions & Answers about Morat ćemo raskinuti ugovor, osim ako platite račun na vrijeme.
Why is the perfective verb platite used in the present tense here if the sentence is about the future?
While perfective verbs usually cannot be used in the present tense for independent statements, they are completely standard inside conditional clauses like osim ako (unless) or ako (if). Using the present tense of a perfective verb here is the most natural way to express a completed future condition.
Could I use a future tense instead of platite after osim ako?
In standard Croatian, you avoid using the standard future tense (Future I) directly after conditional words like ako or osim ako. You could technically use the Future II tense (osim ako budete platili), but using the present tense of a perfective verb (platite) is much more common and conversational.
Why is the 'i' missing from the end of the infinitive morat?
This is a standard spelling rule for the future tense. When a verb ends in -ti (like morati) and the future auxiliary verb (ćemo) comes immediately after it, the final -i is dropped. If the word order were swapped, the -i would return: mi ćemo morati.
I know raskinuti means 'to terminate' in this context, but what else can it be used for?
Raskinuti literally means to tear apart or break off. Besides legal documents like an ugovor (contract), it is famously the standard verb for breaking up a romantic relationship. For example, you would say oni su raskinuli to mean 'they broke up'.
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