Questions & Answers about Vidimo se za čas.
What does Vidimo se literally mean?
Literally, vidimo means we see, and se means ourselves/each other in this kind of expression.
So Vidimo se literally means something like We’ll see each other or We are seeing each other.
In everyday Croatian, though, it is used the same way English uses See you.
Why is se there?
Why does vidimo mean we see if the English translation is see you?
Croatian often expresses this idea from a we perspective rather than a you perspective.
So instead of saying exactly I’ll see you, Croatian commonly says We’ll see each other:
- Vidimo se. = See you.
This is very natural in Croatian and is one of the standard ways to say goodbye when you expect to meet again.
Where is the word for we?
It is not stated explicitly because Croatian verb endings usually already show the subject.
Here:
- vidim = I see
- vidiš = you see
- vidi = he/she sees
- vidimo = we see
So the ending -mo in vidimo already tells you the subject is we.
A separate pronoun mi (we) is usually unnecessary unless you want emphasis.
Why is a present-tense form used for a future meaning?
This is very common in Croatian.
Vidimo se is grammatically present tense, but in context it often refers to a future meeting:
- Vidimo se sutra. = See you tomorrow.
- Vidimo se za čas. = See you in a moment.
English does something similar in some expressions, but Croatian uses the present very naturally for planned or expected future events.
What does za čas mean?
Za čas means in a moment, very soon, or in a little while.
In this sentence:
- Vidimo se za čas. = See you in a moment.
It suggests that the meeting will happen soon, not at some distant time.
Does čas always mean moment?
Not always. Čas can have a few meanings depending on context, including:
- moment
- period/class/lesson
- sometimes hour in older or specific usage
But in za čas, it means a moment.
So you should understand the whole phrase za čas as a fixed time expression rather than translating each word too mechanically.
Is za here the same as for?
Not exactly. Although za often corresponds to for, in time expressions it can mean in:
- za sat = in an hour
- za minutu = in a minute
- za čas = in a moment
So in this sentence, za introduces the amount of time before something happens.
Can Vidimo se za čas be used as a goodbye?
Yes. It sounds natural as a parting phrase when you expect to see the person again very soon.
For example, if you step away briefly or are about to meet again shortly, you could say:
- Vidimo se za čas.
It is less appropriate if you are leaving for a long time. In that case, you might say:
- Vidimo se kasnije. = See you later.
- Vidimo se sutra. = See you tomorrow.
- Bok! / Ćao! = Bye!
Is this formal or informal?
Can the word order change?
Usually the normal order is:
- Vidimo se za čas.
Croatian word order is somewhat flexible, but se tends to stay in a very specific clitic position, so learners should treat Vidimo se as a fixed chunk.
A different order may be possible in special contexts for emphasis, but the standard and safest version is:
- Vidimo se za čas.
Are there similar expressions I should know?
Yes, several very common ones:
- Vidimo se uskoro. = See you soon.
- Vidimo se kasnije. = See you later.
- Vidimo se sutra. = See you tomorrow.
- Čujemo se. = Talk to you later / literally We’ll hear from each other
- Javimo se. = We’ll get in touch
These are useful because Croatian often uses this same pattern of a verb + se to express mutual contact.
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