Questions & Answers about Ne možemo dugo čekati u čekaonici.
Why is ne written separately from možemo?
In Croatian, ne is usually written as a separate word before a verb.
So:
- možemo = we can
- ne možemo = we cannot / we can't
This is the normal way to negate most verbs. English learners sometimes expect one combined word, but in Croatian the negative particle ne normally stands on its own.
A few forms in Croatian are exceptions and are written together, but ne možemo is not one of them.
What does možemo mean exactly, and what form is it?
Možemo is the 1st person plural present tense of moći (to be able to / can).
It means:
- we can
- or in negative: ne možemo = we can't / we are not able to
So the sentence has an implied subject:
- (Mi) ne možemo... = (We) cannot...
Croatian often leaves out subject pronouns like mi because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
Why is čekati in the infinitive?