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Questions & Answers about Imamo pet minuta.
What does the word in bold mean and how is the verb conjugated?
Imamo is the 1st person plural present of imati = to have, so it means “we have.”
Present tense of imati: imam, imaš, ima, imamo, imate, imaju.
Negative: nemam, nemaš, nema, nemamo, nemate, nemaju.
Why is it pet minuta and not pet minute?
After numbers 5 and above (and also 11–14), Croatian puts the counted noun in the genitive plural.
For the noun minuta (minute), the genitive plural is also minuta. Hence: pet minuta.
But isn’t a direct object supposed to be in the accusative? Why is the noun in the genitive?
With numerals, Croatian splits things:
- The whole phrase acts as the needed case (here, the object of imamo, so “accusative” for the phrase).
- The noun after the numeral appears in the special counting form: genitive (singular after 2–4, plural after 5+).
Compare:
- Imamo jednu minutu. (1 → accusative singular: minutu)
- Imamo dvije/tri/četiri minute. (2–4 → genitive singular: minute)
- Imamo pet minuta. (5+ → genitive plural: minuta)
How do forms change with different numbers? Any quick examples?
Rules:
- 1 → singular (accusative here): jednu minutu
- 2–4 → genitive singular: minute
- 5+ → genitive plural: minuta
- Numbers ending in 1/2/3/4 follow the last digit’s rule, except 11–14 which behave like 5+.
Examples (as direct objects):
- Imamo jednu minutu.
- Imamo dvije minute. / tri minute. / četiri minute.
- Imamo pet minuta.
- Imamo jedanaest minuta.
- Imamo dvadeset jednu minutu.
- Imamo dvadeset dvije minute.
- Imamo dvadeset pet minuta.
Why is it dvije minute and not dva minute?
Because minuta is feminine. The numeral 2 agrees in gender:
- masculine/neuter: dva
- feminine: dvije So: dvije minute.
What are the basic forms of the noun “minute”? It looks confusing.
Key forms of minuta (feminine):
- Singular: nominative minuta, genitive minute, accusative minutu
- Plural: nominative/accusative minute, genitive minuta Hence the seemingly odd mix like pet minuta (genitive plural).
How do I say “in five minutes,” “five minutes ago,” and “for five minutes”?
- In (future time): Za pet minuta. (Polazimo za pet minuta.)
- Ago: Prije pet minuta. (Otišao je prije pet minuta.)
- For (duration): pet minuta without a preposition (Spavao je pet minuta), or when setting something (a timer, reservation), na pet minuta (Postavio sam alarm na pet minuta).
Can I write the number as a digit?
Yes: Imamo 5 minuta. In formal prose, small numbers are often written out, but digits are common and perfectly fine in everyday writing.
Do I need to say the subject pronoun mi?
No. Croatian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. Mi imamo pet minuta is possible, but adds emphasis to “we.”
How is the sentence pronounced?
- imamo: roughly “EE-mah-moh”
- pet: like English “pet” (with a pure short e)
- minuta: “mee-NOO-tah”
Croatian vowels are pure and always pronounced.
Is minut ever used instead of minuta?
In standard Croatian, the word is minuta (feminine). Minut is common in Serbian and heard regionally/colloquially; stick to minuta in Croatian.
How do I say “We have only five minutes” or “We have five more minutes”?
- Only: Imamo samo pet minuta.
- More/left: Imamo još pet minuta.
Alternative for “left/remaining”: Ostalo je (još) pet minuta. / Još pet minuta!
Can I change the word order?
Yes, Croatian word order is flexible. Imamo pet minuta is neutral. Pet minuta imamo emphasizes the amount (useful in contrast or answers), and Još pet minuta imamo emphasizes “still/remaining.”
Does the numeral pet change with gender or case?
No. Pet does not agree in gender and is effectively invariable in everyday use. Only 1 (jedan/jedna/jedno) and 2 (dva/dvije) show gender agreement.