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Počet ćemo raditi kad dođeš.

Počet ćemo raditi kad dođeš.
We will start working when you come.

Breakdown of Počet ćemo raditi kad dođeš.

raditi
to work
kad
when
htjeti
will
doći
to come
početi
to start
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Questions & Answers about Počet ćemo raditi kad dođeš.

What tense is Počet ćemo and how is it formed?

It’s the simple future (Futur I). Croatian forms Futur I with:

  • the infinitive of the main verb, plus
  • the clitic forms of htjeti: ću, ćeš, će, ćemo, ćete, će.

So: početi + ćemo → počet ćemo = we will start.

Why is it počet and not početi here?

When the future clitic (ću/ćeš/će/ćemo/ćete/će) immediately follows the infinitive, the final -i of the infinitive drops:

  • Correct: Počet ćemo (not Početi ćemo)
  • Correct: Radit ću (not Raditi ću)
  • Correct: Vidjet ćeš (not Vidjeti ćeš)

If the clitic does not immediately follow, keep the full infinitive:

  • Mi ćemo početi raditi.
  • Večeras ćemo početi.
Where does ćemo go in the sentence?

Clitics like ću/ćeš/će/ćemo/ćete/će sit in the “second position” of the clause (after the first stressed word/phrase):

  • Počet ćemo raditi...
  • Mi ćemo početi raditi... (here the clitic follows Mi)
  • Kad dođeš, počet ćemo raditi. They cannot start a sentence by themselves.
Why is it kad dođeš and not kad ćeš doći?

In future time clauses with kad/kada, Croatian uses the present tense (often of a perfective verb):

  • Počet ćemo raditi kad dođeš.

Using the future there (kad ćeš doći) is nonstandard in Croatian (though heard regionally). Note: Kad ćeš doći? is correct as a standalone question (“When will you come?”).

What exactly is dođeš?
It’s 2nd person singular present of the perfective verb doći (to come/arrive): dođem, dođeš, dođe, dođemo, dođete, dođu. The present of a perfective verb often refers to a single future event, which fits after kad here.
Can I use kada instead of kad?

Yes. Kad is shorter and very common; kada is a bit more formal/careful. Meaning and grammar are identical:

  • Počet ćemo raditi kad/kada dođeš.
Would Kad budeš došao, počet ćemo raditi also be correct?

Yes. That’s Futur II (future perfect) in the time clause: budeš (future of biti) + past participle došao. It’s more formal and emphasizes completion of your arrival before the starting begins. Everyday speech often uses the simpler kad dođeš.

  • Masculine: Kad budeš došao, ...
  • Feminine: Kad budeš došla, ...
  • Formal/plural: Kad budete došli, ...
Can I put the time clause first? Do I need a comma?

Yes. If the kad/kada clause comes first, use a comma:

  • Kad dođeš, počet ćemo raditi.

If it comes last, no comma:

  • Počet ćemo raditi kad dođeš.
How do I say it politely to one person (formal “you”)?

Use vi-forms:

  • Počet ćemo raditi kad dođete. In very formal writing you can capitalize: kad Vi dođete.
How do I make it negative?

Negate the future auxiliary, and for “until,” use dok ne:

  • Nećemo početi raditi dok ne dođeš. = We won’t start working until you come.

A plain negation with kad is possible but less natural for this meaning:

  • Nećemo početi raditi kad dođeš.
Can I say Mi ćemo početi raditi? What changes?

Yes. Adding mi emphasizes “we.” Because ćemo now attaches to mi, the main verb appears as the full infinitive:

  • Mi ćemo početi raditi kad dođeš. (emphasis on “we”)
  • Počet ćemo raditi kad dođeš. (neutral)
Why is it raditi and not something like uraditi?

Raditi = “to work” (imperfective, ongoing activity). Uraditi/napraviti = “to do/complete (a task)” (perfective). After početi, you normally use an activity verb:

  • početi raditi (start working)
  • početi pisati (start writing) Početi uraditi isn’t idiomatic.
Could I use the present Počinjemo raditi kad dođeš?

Yes. Počinjemo (imperfective present) is used for scheduled/near-future plans or habitual statements:

  • Scheduled: Počinjemo raditi kad dođeš (sutra u 9).
  • Habitual: Počinjemo raditi kad dođeš (every time you arrive, we start). For a one-off future, Počet ćemo is the straightforward choice.
Is započeti a good synonym for početi here?

Often, yes. Two natural options:

  • Započet ćemo raditi kad dođeš.
  • More idiomatic with a noun: Započet ćemo s radom kad dođeš. Both mean “we will begin/start,” with početi being the default, all-purpose verb.
Why is there a space in Počet ćemo? Is it one word or two?
Two words. Ćemo is an auxiliary clitic written separately. Croatian writes it as počet ćemo, not as a single fused word.
How do I pronounce č and ć in Počet ćemo?
  • č is a hard “ch,” like in English “church.”
  • ć is a softer, palatalized sound (close to “ty”). So počet ćemo has a hard č in počet and a soft ć in ćemo.