Questions & Answers about Danas mogu da idem u park.
What does mogu da idem literally mean, and why isn’t it just one verb?
Mogu da idem literally means I can that I go, but in natural English it simply means I can go.
This is a very common Serbian pattern:
- mogu = I can
- da idem = to go / that I go
After modal verbs like moći (can, be able to), Serbian often uses da + present tense instead of an infinitive.
So:
- Mogu da idem = I can go
- Mogu da radim = I can work
- Mogu da spavam = I can sleep
You may also sometimes see an infinitive in Serbian, but da + present is extremely common and very natural.
Why is it idem and not some other form of ići?
Because idem is the 1st person singular present tense form of ići (to go).
The subject here is understood to be I, so the verb must match that:
- ja idem = I go / I am going
- ti ideš = you go
- on/ona/ono ide = he/she/it goes
Since mogu already means I can, the second verb also stays in the I form:
- mogu da idem =