Kada imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku.

When I have time, I read a book in the park.

Breakdown of Kada imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku.

• imati: to have
• u: in
• knjiga: book
• čitati: to read
• park: park
• vrijeme: time
• kada: when

Questions & Answers about Kada imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku.

Why is there no word for I in the Croatian sentence? Where did I go?

Croatian usually drops subject pronouns (like ja = I) because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• imam = I have (1st person singular)
• čitam = I read (1st person singular)

So Kada imam vremena… is understood as When I have time…, not When he/she has time…, because the ending -m marks I.

You can say:

• Kada ja imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku.

but then ja is emphatic: When I have time (as opposed to others)…

Why is it imam vremena and not imam vrijeme?

The noun is vrijeme (time), but the expression imati vremena uses the genitive singular vremena.

• imam vremena = I have (some) time / I am free
• nemam vremena = I don’t have time

This is a set pattern in Croatian (and other Slavic languages): with imati / nemati plus an abstract noun, the genitive often means an indefinite amount (a bit like some time in English).

You can see imam vrijeme in some contexts, but it usually sounds more specific or technical, like:

• Imam vrijeme od 3 do 4.
  I have a time slot from 3 to 4.

For everyday I have time, you should learn imam vremena / nemam vremena as a fixed phrase.

What is the difference between kada and kad? Can I use kad here?

kada and kad both mean when and are interchangeable in this sentence.

• Kada imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku.
• Kad imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku.

Differences:

• kad – shorter, more colloquial, more common in speech
• kada – slightly more formal or careful, common in writing and in neutral language

In normal conversation, you’ll hear kad very often. For learners, it’s good to recognize both and know they’re the same word in practice.

Why is there a comma after vremena?

The sentence has two clauses:

1. Kada imam vremena – a dependent (subordinate) clause introduced by kada
2. čitam knjigu u parku – the main clause

In Croatian, when a subordinate clause comes before the main clause, a comma normally separates them:

• Kada imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku.

If you put the main clause first, there is usually no comma:

• Čitam knjigu u parku kada imam vremena.

Why is it knjigu and not knjiga?

The base form (nominative singular) is:

• knjiga = book

In the sentence, knjigu is the direct object of the verb čitam (I read), so it must be in the accusative case.

Feminine nouns ending in -a usually:

• nominative: knjiga
• accusative: knjigu

So:

• Knjiga je na stolu. – The book is on the table. (subject → nominative)
• Čitam knjigu. – I am reading the book. (object → accusative)

Why is it u parku and not u park?

The preposition u (in, into) can take accusative or locative, depending on the meaning:

• u + accusative → movement into something
  Idem u park. – I’m going to the park.
• u + locative → being in/inside a place (no movement)
  Čitam u parku. – I read in the park.

In čitam knjigu u parku, you’re already in the park, not moving there, so u parku uses the locative case:

• nominative: park
• locative: (u) parku

Can I change the word order? For example, can I say U parku čitam knjigu?

Yes. Croatian allows flexible word order. All of these are grammatical:

• Kada imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku.
• Kada imam vremena, u parku čitam knjigu.
• Čitam knjigu u parku kada imam vremena.
• U parku čitam knjigu kada imam vremena.

The basic meaning is the same, but the emphasis can shift:

• U parku čitam knjigu…
  puts a bit more focus on u parku (In the park I read a book…).

For a learner, your original order is perfectly natural and a good default.

Does the Croatian present tense here mean the same as English I read or I am reading?

The Croatian present tense of an imperfective verb (like čitati) can cover both:

• habitual/general:
  Kada imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku.
  = When I have time, I (usually) read a book in the park.
• right now / current period (depending on context):
  In the right situation, it can also be understood as When I have some time these days, I read a book in the park.

Croatian doesn’t distinguish simple present vs present continuous the way English does. Context decides whether it feels like I read or I am reading.

Why is the verb čitam and not something like pročitam?

Croatian has aspect: verbs are imperfective or perfective.

• čitati – imperfective: focuses on the process / habit
  • čitam = I read / I am reading / I tend to read
• pročitati – perfective: focuses on the completed action
  • pročitam = I (will) read it through / I finish reading

In your sentence:

• Kada imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku.

you are describing a habitual activity, not the completion of reading the entire book each time, so the imperfective čitam is the natural choice.

If you said:

• Kada imam vremena, pročitam knjigu.

it would sound more like When I have time, I (manage to) finish reading the book – focusing on completion.

How do I know vremena is genitive and not something else?

The noun’s base form is:

• nominative: vrijeme (time)

Some key forms:

• genitive singular: vremena
• dative/locative singular: vremenu
• instrumental singular: vremenom

In imam vremena, two clues tell you it’s genitive:

1. The pattern: imati / nemati + genitive with abstract nouns (like vremena, novca, posla) is very common.
2. The form vremena is exactly the genitive singular of vrijeme.

You don’t need to guess the case from form alone: often you learn which case is required by the verb or preposition, like a fixed combination.

There are no words like a or the. How do I know if it’s a book or the book, a park or the park?

Croatian has no articles (no a/an and no the). The bare noun can correspond to a/an or the in English, depending on context.

• čitam knjigu u parku can be:
  • I read a book in a park.
  • I read the book in the park.

Context or previous conversation decides which one is meant. Croatian might add adjectives or context words for clarity, e.g.:

• čitam onu knjigu u onom parku – I read that book in that park.

Could I also say Dok imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku? What’s the difference from kada?

You can say:

• Dok imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku.

dok usually means while and emphasizes simultaneity / duration:

• Dok imam vremena – While I have time / As long as I have time

kada focuses more on the moment or situation:

• Kada imam vremena – When(ever) I have time

In your sentence, both are possible, but kada sounds more like a general whenever I have time; dok slightly highlights the idea of during the period when I have time.

Is imam vremena, čitam… a conditional structure, like if?

Formally, kada = when, not if. But in practice, Kada imam vremena… often behaves like English When(ever) I have time / If I have time….

Subtlety:

• kada – assumes the situation will or does happen (more certain)
• ako – means if (condition, less certain)

Compare:

• Kada imam vremena, čitam knjigu u parku.
  When(ever) I have time, I read a book in the park. (usual situation)
• Ako imam vremena, čitat ću knjigu u parku.
  If I have time, I will read a book in the park. (it may or may not happen)

In your sentence, kada suggests a regular, real situation, not a hypothetical one.