Čekaj barem deset minuta.

Čekaj is the imperative form of the verb čekati (to wait), used when speaking to one person informally.

So:

• čekati = to wait
• čekaj! = wait!

If you were speaking to more than one person, or to one person formally, you would say čekajte.

Because čekaš means you wait / you are waiting, while čekaj means wait!

Compare:

• čekaš = statement/question about what someone does
• čekaj = command/request

So in this sentence, the speaker is telling someone to wait, not describing what they do.

Barem means at least.

So barem deset minuta = at least ten minutes.

It adds the idea that ten minutes is the minimum amount of time.

You may also see:

• bar
• makar

These can often mean something similar to at least, depending on context. But in this sentence, barem is a very natural choice.

Because Serbian changes the form of nouns after numbers.

With 5 and higher, the noun usually goes in the genitive plural.

So:

• jedan minut = one minute
• dva / tri / četiri minuta = two / three / four minutes
• pet minuta, deset minuta = five minutes, ten minutes

That is why deset minuta is correct.

Because Serbian does not form number expressions the same way English does.

After numbers, Serbian uses special case patterns:

• 1 → singular: jedan minut
• 2, 3, 4 → a different form: dva minuta
• 5+ → genitive plural: pet minuta, deset minuta

So minuta here is not the same as English singular minute. It is the correct Serbian form after deset.

Yes. Najmanje deset minuta also means at least ten minutes.

But there is a small difference in tone:

• barem deset minuta sounds more everyday and conversational
• najmanje deset minuta can sound a bit more precise or formal

Both are correct.

Yes, and that is a very useful comparison.

• čekaj comes from čekati
• sačekaj comes from sačekati

Very roughly:

• čekaj = wait
• sačekaj = wait for a bit / wait until something happens / hold on

In many situations, sačekaj barem deset minuta sounds very natural too.

The difference is connected to aspect:

• čekati is imperfective
• sačekati is perfective

For a learner, the easiest practical takeaway is that both can be used, but sačekaj often sounds a bit more like wait until then / wait it out.

Because Serbian often leaves out the subject pronoun when it is already clear from the verb form.

In čekaj, it is already clear that the speaker is addressing you singular informally, so ti does not need to be said.

You could say Ti čekaj barem deset minuta, but that would usually add emphasis or contrast.

This is the most natural neutral word order, but Serbian word order is fairly flexible.

The standard version:

• Čekaj barem deset minuta.

Other orders may be possible for emphasis, but they can sound marked:

• Barem deset minuta čekaj.
• Čekaj deset minuta barem.

A learner should usually stick with Čekaj barem deset minuta, since it is clear and natural.

A simple English-friendly approximation is:

CHEH-kai BAH-rem DEH-set mee-NOO-ta

A few notes:

• č sounds like ch in chocolate
• j sounds like y in yes
• r is rolled or tapped
• stress is not marked in normal writing, so learners usually just imitate native audio when possible

It can be any of those, depending on tone and context.

Without context, Čekaj barem deset minuta. is best understood as an imperative: a command or instruction.

But in real use, tone changes everything:

• firm tone → command
• calm tone → advice
• polite tone in context → request

So grammatically it is an imperative, but pragmatically it can feel stronger or softer.

A common way is to use the formal/plural imperative:

• Čekajte barem deset minuta.

You could also soften it with polite wording, for example:

• Molim vas, čekajte barem deset minuta. = Please wait at least ten minutes.

So:

• čekaj = informal singular
• čekajte = formal singular or plural

No. The basic noun is minut, and it is masculine.

The form minuta here does not mean the noun is feminine. It is just a different grammatical form used after numbers.

So the dictionary form is:

• minut = minute

But in sentences with numbers, you may see:

• jedan minut
• dva minuta
• deset minuta

Those are all forms of the same masculine noun.