Breakdown of Večeras ću učiti hrvatski.
hrvatski
Croatian
večeras
tonight
htjeti
will (future auxiliary)
učiti
to study
Questions & Answers about Večeras ću učiti hrvatski.
What does the word ću do in this sentence?
Ću is the future-tense auxiliary (from the verb htjeti, to want) used to form the standard Croatian Future I. It roughly corresponds to English will. It combines with the infinitive of the main verb (učiti here). Person forms:
- I: ću
- you (sg): ćeš
- he/she/it: će
- we: ćemo
- you (pl): ćete
- they: će
Why is ću placed after Večeras?
Because ću is a clitic (an unstressed short word) that normally sits in second position in the clause. The adverb Večeras is the first element, so ću comes right after it: Večeras ću učiti hrvatski. Clitics like ću generally cannot start a sentence in standard Croatian.
Can I say Učit ću hrvatski večeras instead?
Yes. When the auxiliary follows the infinitive, the infinitive drops its final -i: učit ću. Both Večeras ću učiti hrvatski and Učit ću hrvatski večeras are correct and neutral. Avoid učiti ću (that’s incorrect in Croatian).
Why is it učiti and not a present-tense form like učim?