Umesto da se vratimo autobusom, rezervisaćemo sedište u vozu.

Instead of returning by bus, we will reserve a seat on the train.

Breakdown of Umesto da se vratimo autobusom, rezervisaćemo sedište u vozu.

• u: in
• autobus: bus
• voz: train
• vratiti: to return

Questions & Answers about Umesto da se vratimo autobusom, rezervisaćemo sedište u vozu.

What does umesto da mean in this sentence?

Umesto da means instead of when what follows is a whole clause, not just a noun.

So:

• umesto = instead of
• da se vratimo autobusom = that we return by bus / returning by bus

Together, Umesto da se vratimo autobusom means Instead of returning by bus.

A useful comparison:

• umesto autobusa = instead of the bus
• umesto da idemo autobusom = instead of going by bus

So when Serbian needs instead of doing something, it often uses umesto da + clause.

Why is it se vratimo, not vratimo se?

Both word orders are possible in Serbian, but se vratimo is very common after da.

The verb is vratiti se = to return / to come back.
The particle se is part of this reflexive verb.

After da, Serbian often places short unstressed words like se early in the clause:

• da se vratimo
• da se vidimo
• da se nađemo

So da se vratimo sounds natural and standard.

Why is vratimo in the present form if the meaning is future?