Breakdown of Doći ću čim završim posao.
posao
work
htjeti
will (future auxiliary)
završiti
to finish
čim
as soon as
Questions & Answers about Doći ću čim završim posao.
Why is it Doći ću and not ću doći?
Because ću is a clitic in Croatian. Clitics usually do not stand in first position in a clause.
So:
- Doći ću = correct
- Ja ću doći = also correct
- Sutra ću doći = also correct
- Ću doći = not standard at the beginning of a sentence
In other words, if nothing comes before ću, Croatian often puts the infinitive first: Doći ću.
A useful extra note: with many verbs ending in -ti, the final -i is often dropped before ću:
- raditi → radit ću
- pisati → pisat ću
But doći ends in -ći, so it stays doći ću.
Could I also say Ja ću doći čim završim posao?
Yes. That is grammatically correct.
The difference is mostly about emphasis:
- Doći ću čim završim posao. = neutral, natural
- Ja ću doći čim završim posao. = emphasizes I
(for example, if you want to contrast yourself with someone else)
Croatian often leaves out subject pronouns like ja unless they are needed for emphasis or clarity.
Why is in the present tense if the meaning is future?