Želim još vremena.

I want more time.

Breakdown of Želim još vremena.

• željeti: to want
• vrijeme: time
• još: yet

Questions & Answers about Želim još vremena.

Why is there no word for I in Želim još vremena?

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

• žel-im → the -m ending clearly marks 1st person singular (I).
  So Želim još vremena automatically means I want more time, even without Ja.

You can say Ja želim još vremena, but it’s only used for emphasis, like I (as opposed to someone else) want more time.

What exactly does želim mean, and what form is it?

Želim is:

• the 1st person singular, present tense of the verb željeti (to want, to wish).
• literally: I want / I wish.

So:

• Ja želim = I want / I wish
• Ti želiš = you (singular) want / wish
• On/ona želi = he/she wants / wishes, etc.

Why is it još, and what does još add to the meaning?

In this sentence, još means more.

• Želim vrijeme. → I want time.
• Želim još vremena. → I want more time.

Common meanings of još:

1. more / additional:
   
   • Želim još kave. → I want more coffee.
2. still / yet (in other contexts):
   
   • Još čekam. → I’m still waiting.

Here, with vremena, it clearly means more (time), not still.

Why is it vremena and not vrijeme? I learned time is vrijeme.

The base form is vrijeme (nominative singular).
In Želim još vremena, vremena is the genitive singular of vrijeme.

The form changes because of još:

• With još meaning more (of something), Croatian usually uses the genitive:
  • još vremena → more (of) time
  • još vode → more (of) water
  • još novca → more (of) money

So:

• vrijeme (nom./acc. sg.) → vremena (gen. sg.)
  Želim vrijeme. = I want time.
  Želim još vremena. = I want more time.

Is vrijeme a regular noun? What gender is it?

Vrijeme is a neuter noun and somewhat irregular in form.

Key singular forms:

• Nominative: vrijeme (time)
• Accusative: vrijeme (same as nominative)
• Genitive: vremena (of time)

You mostly need to remember:

• vrijeme (subject or direct object)
• vremena (after još, više, or when of time is meant)

Can I say Želim više vremena instead of Želim još vremena? Is there a difference?

Yes, Želim više vremena is also correct and common.

Nuance:

• Želim još vremena.

  • more time, often relative to what you already have / expected.
  • Feels a bit like some more time.

• Želim više vremena.

  • more time, often with a stronger comparative sense (more than before / than someone else / than usual).
  • Feels closer to I want a greater amount of time.

In everyday conversation, they often overlap and both sound natural.

Is Želim još vremena polite, or is it too direct?

Želim još vremena is neutral and direct, like saying I want more time in English.

For more politeness or softness, Croatians often use a conditional form:

• Želio bih još vremena. (male speaker)
• Željela bih još vremena. (female speaker)

These mean I would like more time, and sound more polite/formal.

Could I also say Trebam još vremena? What is the difference from Želim još vremena?

Yes, Trebam još vremena is correct, but it changes the meaning:

• Želim još vremena. → I want more time. (desire)
• Trebam još vremena. → I need more time. (necessity)

Trebam (from trebati) is stronger and more objective, like I can’t manage without more time.
Želim is more about what you personally want.

Can I change the word order, like Još vremena želim?

Yes, Croatian word order is flexible.

Possible variants:

• Želim još vremena. – most neutral.
• Još vremena želim. – places emphasis on more time (as the important information).
• Još želim vremena. – less common here, but possible; can sound like I still want time depending on context.

For a learner, Želim još vremena is the best default: natural and clear.

How would I turn this into a question: Do you want more time?

You change the verb ending to 2nd person singular (želiš) and adjust for spoken vs more formal style.

Common options:

• Želiš li još vremena? – neutral, slightly formal/standard.
• Želiš još vremena? – very common spoken question (rising intonation).
• Informal alternative with hoćeš:
  
  • Hoćeš još vremena? – Do you want more time? (colloquial, very common in speech).