Idem prema školi.

I am going toward the school.

Breakdown of Idem prema školi.

• ići: to go
• škola: school
• prema: according to

Questions & Answers about Idem prema školi.

Why is there no separate word for “I” in “Idem prema školi”?

Croatian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• Idem is the 1st person singular form, so it already means “I go / I am going”.
• Adding ja (Ja idem prema školi) is grammatically correct, but usually only used for emphasis (e.g. “I’m the one who is going towards the school.”).

So the basic, neutral sentence is simply Idem prema školi without ja.

Does “idem” mean “I go” or “I am going”?

It can mean both, depending on context.

Croatian does not have a separate present continuous form like English. The present tense of ići (“to go”) can cover:

• Habitual action:
  Svaki dan idem prema školi u osam.
  “Every day I go towards the school at eight.”

• Action happening now:
  Sad idem prema školi.
  “I am going towards the school now.”

So Idem prema školi is usually understood as “I am going towards the school (right now)”, unless context clearly makes it habitual.

What is the infinitive of “idem”, and how is this verb conjugated?