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Questions & Answers about Imam tri knjige.
Why is there no word for I in Imam tri knjige?
Croatian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
- imam is the 1st person singular form of imati (to have), so it can only mean I have.
- You only add ja (Ja imam tri knjige.) when you want to emphasize I (e.g. I have three books, not someone else).
So Imam tri knjige. by itself is the normal, neutral way to say I have three books.
What tense is imam, and what does it tell me?
Imam is:
- Present tense
- 1st person singular
- From the verb imati = to have (possess)
So Imam tri knjige. means I have three books (now / in general), just like English present simple. It usually expresses current possession, not a temporary action like I am having dinner (that uses a different verb in Croatian).
What is the infinitive of imam, and how is it conjugated in the present?
The infinitive is imati (to have).
Present tense conjugation:
- ja imam – I have
- ti imaš – you have (singular, informal)
- on / ona / ono ima – he / she / it has