Questions & Answers about Možda danas kupim novine.
Why is there no word for I in this sentence?
Because Serbian often drops subject pronouns when they are already clear from the verb form.
Here, kupim means I buy / I may buy / I might buy, and the ending -im shows 1st person singular, so ja is not necessary.
You could say Ja možda danas kupim novine, but that would usually add emphasis to I.
What does možda mean, and why is it at the beginning?
Možda means maybe or perhaps.
It often goes near the beginning of the sentence because it affects the whole statement: the speaker is saying the action is possible, not certain.
Serbian word order is flexible, so you could also hear things like:
- Danas možda kupim novine.
- Kupim možda danas novine.
But Možda danas kupim novine sounds very natural and neutral.
Why is kupim used here instead of kupujem?
Because kupim comes from the perfective verb kupiti, while kupujem comes from the imperfective verb kupovati.
The difference is about aspect:
- kupiti → kupim = a single completed purchase