Uspećemo.

Breakdown of Uspećemo.

uspeti
to succeed or manage

Questions & Answers about Uspećemo.

What tense is uspećemo?

It is the future tense in Serbian, specifically futur I.

So Uspećemo. means we will succeed, we’ll manage, or in some contexts we’ll make it.

What is the dictionary form of this verb?

The dictionary form is uspeti.

This verb means to succeed or to manage to do something, depending on context.

In uspećemo, the future ending comes from the auxiliary hteti in the form ćemo meaning we will.

Why is it written as one word?

Because Serbian often forms the future like this when the infinitive ends in -ti.

There are two common patterns:

  • Mi ćemo uspeti.
  • Uspećemo.

In the second pattern, the -ti of uspeti drops, and ćemo attaches to the verb stem:

  • uspeti → uspe-
  • ćemo
  • uspećemo

So Uspećemo is not a different tense or meaning. It is just a normal future form.

Can I also say Mi ćemo uspeti?

Yes. Mi ćemo uspeti and Uspećemo mean the same thing.

The difference is mostly in structure and emphasis:

  • Uspećemo. = very natural as a short standalone sentence
  • Mi ćemo uspeti. = also correct, and mi can add emphasis if needed

A useful point: ćemo is a clitic, so it normally does not stand at the beginning of a sentence by itself. That is why Ćemo uspeti is not natural, but Uspećemo is.

Why is there no separate word for we?

Because Serbian verbs usually already show the subject.

The ending -mo tells you it is first person plural, so the meaning is already we.

That is why Uspećemo by itself is enough.

You add mi only when you want emphasis, contrast, or clarity, for example:

  • Mi ćemo uspeti, oni neće.
    We will succeed, they won’t.
How do I pronounce uspećemo?

It is pronounced roughly as u-spe-će-mo.

A simple English-friendly approximation is:

oo-speh-tyeh-mo

A few pronunciation notes:

  • u sounds like oo
  • e is like e in met
  • ć is a soft sound, somewhat between English t and ch
  • every vowel is pronounced clearly

Also, Serbian spelling is very phonetic, so once you know the sounds, the word is easy to read.

Does uspeti mean to succeed or to manage?

It can mean either, depending on context.

So Uspećemo. can mean:

  • We will succeed
  • We’ll manage
  • We’ll make it

If the context is about achieving a goal, succeed is a good translation.
If the context is about being able to do something difficult, manage may sound more natural in English.

Why is it uspećemo and not uspevaćemo?

Because uspeti is a perfective verb.

Perfective verbs focus on a result or completion.
So Uspećemo suggests reaching success as a completed outcome: we will succeed.

The related imperfective verb is uspevati. Its future form uspevaćemo would suggest something more ongoing, repeated, or habitual, such as we will be succeeding or we will keep managing, depending on context.

For a simple statement about future success, uspećemo is the normal choice.

How do I make this sentence negative?

The normal negative form is:

Nećemo uspeti.

This is built from the negative future auxiliary nećemo plus the infinitive uspeti.

So:

  • Uspećemo. = We will succeed
  • Nećemo uspeti. = We will not succeed

You do not normally say Ne uspećemo.

How is this written in Cyrillic?

In Serbian Cyrillic, it is:

Успећемо.

This is exactly the same word, just in the other script. Serbian regularly uses both Latin and Cyrillic alphabets.

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