Breakdown of Kada budem šetao šumom, pazit ću na otrovnice.
šetati
to walk
na
on, at / to, onto (with motion) / about (thinking about)
htjeti
to want (intent, will)
paziti
to pay attention, to be careful
kada
when / if (with conditional)
šuma
forest
budem
will be (Future II auxiliary; budeš, bude, budemo, budete, budu)
otrovnica
venomous snake
Questions & Answers about Kada budem šetao šumom, pazit ću na otrovnice.
Why is budem šetao used instead of the regular future tense ću šetati?
Budem šetao is the Future II tense (futur drugi). In Croatian, when a future action is in a subordinate time clause (introduced by words like kada or čim), you use Future II to show it happens before or at the same time as the main future action (pazit ću). You cannot use the regular Future I immediately after kada for a future event.
Why is šumom in the instrumental case without any preposition?
In Croatian, the instrumental case without a preposition is frequently used to express the space or path you are moving through or across. So šumom simply means 'through the forest'. You could also say kroz šumu (with the preposition kroz and accusative), but the bare instrumental is very natural and common for verbs of motion.
Why is the preposition na used with the verb paziti?
The verb paziti (to pay attention, to watch out) requires the preposition na followed by the accusative case when indicating what you are directing your attention toward or watching out for. Here, otrovnice is in the accusative plural.
What kind of word is otrovnice and how does it mean 'venomous snakes'?
Otrovnice is the plural of otrovnica, a feminine noun derived from otrov (poison). While it literally translates to 'a poisonous one', it is the standard Croatian shorthand for otrovna zmija (venomous snake). You do not need to add the word for snake, as otrovnica already implies it in this context.
Learn Kada budem šetao šumom, pazit ću na otrovnice and more in Croatian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free