Plaćam naknadu u banci.

in

Breakdown of Plaćam naknadu u banci.

• banka: bank
• platiti: to pay
• naknada: the service fee

Questions & Answers about Plaćam naknadu u banci.

What does plaćam mean exactly?

Plaćam is the 1st person singular present tense of the imperfective verb plaćati.

So it can mean:

• I pay
• I am paying

Which one is meant depends on context. Because plaćati is imperfective, it often suggests an action that is ongoing, repeated, or habitual rather than a single completed act.

---

Why is there no word for I in the sentence?

In Serbian, subject pronouns are often omitted when they are clear from the verb ending.

Here, plaćam already tells you the subject is I, because the ending -am marks 1st person singular.

So:

• Plaćam naknadu u banci. = I am paying / I pay a fee at the bank.
• Ja plaćam naknadu u banci. also works, but ja is usually added only for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

For example:

• Ja plaćam, ne on. = I’m paying, not him.

---

Why is it naknadu and not naknada?

Because naknada is the direct object of the verb, and direct objects usually go in the accusative case.

The noun naknada is a feminine noun, and its forms are: