Juče sam rano čekala autobus na stanici.

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Breakdown of Juče sam rano čekala autobus na stanici.

• juče: yesterday
• rano: early
• čekati: to wait for

Questions & Answers about Juče sam rano čekala autobus na stanici.

Why is there no ja for I in this sentence?

Serbian often drops subject pronouns when they are already clear from the verb form.

In sam čekala, sam tells you it is first person singular, so I is understood. The ending in čekala also shows that the speaker is female.

You could say Ja sam rano čekala autobus na stanici, but ja is usually unnecessary unless you want extra emphasis.

Why is sam placed after Juče?

Sam is a clitic, and Serbian clitics usually go in the second position of the clause.

So in Juče sam rano čekala autobus na stanici, the first element is Juče, and sam comes right after it.

This is very natural Serbian word order. English speakers often expect sam to stay next to the main verb, but Serbian does not work that way.

How is the past tense formed in sam čekala?

The Serbian past tense is commonly formed with:

• the present tense of biti as an auxiliary
• plus the l-participle of the main verb

Here:

• sam = first person singular auxiliary
• čekala = past participle of čekati

So sam čekala means I waited or , depending on context.