Breakdown of Dok god imamo vodu, nastavićemo uspon.
voda
water
imati
to have
nastaviti
to continue
uspon
an ascent
Questions & Answers about Dok god imamo vodu, nastavićemo uspon.
What does dok god mean here?
Dok god means as long as.
It introduces a condition that remains true over a period of time:
- Dok god imamo vodu... = As long as we have water...
A related phrase is sve dok, which can also mean as long as / until, depending on context. Here, dok god clearly expresses an ongoing condition.
Why is it imamo and not some future form like imaćemo?
In Serbian, after expressions like dok god when talking about a future condition, the verb in the subordinate clause is often in the present tense, even though English may use present as well:
- Dok god imamo vodu, nastavićemo uspon.
- Literally: As long as we have water, we will continue the ascent.
So imamo is grammatically normal here. It refers to a condition that will be true in the future.
What does nastavićemo mean exactly?
Nastavićemo means we will continue.
It is the 1st person plural future tense of nastaviti (to continue):
- ja ću nastaviti = I will continue
- mi ćemo nastaviti = we will continue
In standard Serbian spelling, this often contracts into one written word: