Želim naučiti hrvatski.

I want to learn Croatian.

Breakdown of Želim naučiti hrvatski.

• hrvatski: Croatian
• željeti: to want
• naučiti: to learn

Questions & Answers about Želim naučiti hrvatski.

What is the literal, word‑for‑word breakdown of Želim naučiti hrvatski?

• Želim – I want (1st person singular, present tense of željeti)
• naučiti – to learn (infinitive, perfective aspect)
• hrvatski – Croatian (literally Croatian (language); adjective used as a noun in the accusative case)

So, literally: “I want (to) learn Croatian.”

Why doesn’t Croatian need the word “to” before naučiti, like English “to learn”?

In Croatian, the infinitive form of the verb (the “dictionary form”) is naučiti.
The ending -ti already marks it as “to learn,” so you don’t add a separate word like English to.

So:

• English: want to learn
• Croatian: želim naučiti (literally “want learn‑INF”)

What form is želim exactly, and what is the infinitive?