Learn Hardcore Serbian: Da li možemo da razgovaramo sutra?

In možemo da razgovaramo, the second da links the verb možemo (we can) to another verb, razgovaramo (talk / speak). Serbian often uses this structure where English uses to + verb or a bare infinitive.

So:

možemo da razgovaramo = we can talk

This is a very normal Serbian pattern:

Želim da idem. = I want to go.
Mogu da dođem. = I can come.

Why isn’t there an infinitive after možemo, like in English can talk?

In Serbian, after many verbs, especially in everyday speech, it is very common to use da + present tense instead of an infinitive.

So instead of something like možemo razgovarati, speakers very often say:

možemo da razgovaramo

Both forms can exist in Serbian in many contexts, but da + present tense is extremely common and important to learn.

Here:

razgovaramo is present tense
but after da, it functions like to talk / talk

What form is možemo?

Možemo is the 1st person plural present tense form of moći, meaning can / be able to.

It means:

we can
we are able to

So:

mogu = I can
možeš = you can
može = he/she/it can
možemo = we can
možete = you can / you all can
mogu = they can

In this sentence, možemo tells you the subject is we, even though Serbian often leaves the pronoun mi unstated.

What form is razgovaramo?

Razgovaramo is the 1st person plural present tense form of razgovarati, meaning to talk / to have a conversation.

By itself, razgovaramo usually means:

we talk
we are talking

But after da, as in da razgovaramo, it means:

that we talk
or more naturally in English here, to talk

So in this sentence:

možemo da razgovaramo = we can talk

Why does Serbian use razgovarati here instead of a verb meaning simply speak?

Razgovarati usually suggests having a conversation, talking with someone, or discussing something. In many situations, it matches English talk better than speak.

A related verb is govoriti, which often means speak in the sense of speaking a language or speaking in general.

For example:

Govorim srpski. = I speak Serbian.
Razgovaramo sutra. = We’re talking tomorrow.

So in this sentence, razgovaramo feels natural because it is about having a conversation.

Is sutra always placed at the end?

No. Sutra means tomorrow, and Serbian word order is fairly flexible.

This sentence has a very natural order:

Da li možemo da razgovaramo sutra?

But you could also hear:

Da li sutra možemo da razgovaramo?
Možemo li da razgovaramo sutra?

Changing the position of sutra can slightly shift emphasis, but the basic meaning stays the same.

Could this question be asked without da li?

Yes. Another common way to ask this is:

Možemo li da razgovaramo sutra?

This is also completely natural and very common.

Both mean the same thing:

Da li možemo da razgovaramo sutra?
Možemo li da razgovaramo sutra?

The second version is a bit more compact. Learners should recognize both patterns.

Is this sentence formal or informal?

It is neutral and works in many situations. It is polite enough for everyday use with friends, coworkers, or even in fairly polite communication.

If you want to sound a bit more formal or polite, you might add something like:

Da li možemo da razgovaramo sutra, molim vas? = Can we talk tomorrow, please?
Da li bismo mogli da razgovaramo sutra? = Could we talk tomorrow?

But the original sentence is already perfectly normal and polite.

Do I need to include the pronoun for we, like mi?

Usually, no. Serbian often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

Here, možemo already means we can, so mi is not necessary.

Da li možemo da razgovaramo sutra? = normal
Da li mi možemo da razgovaramo sutra? = possible, but adds emphasis to we

You would include mi only if you want contrast or emphasis.

How is this sentence pronounced?

A simple pronunciation guide is:

da li MO-zhe-mo da raz-go-VA-ra-mo SU-tra

A few helpful notes:

ž sounds like the s in measure
r is rolled or tapped
stress is not usually marked in normal writing, but saying MO-žemo and VA in razgovaramo will sound close enough for a learner

Try saying it smoothly in groups:

Da li možemo
da razgovaramo
sutra?

Can this sentence also mean May we talk tomorrow?

Yes, depending on context. Možemo basically expresses can / are able to, but in English, the best translation may change.

So this sentence can sound like:

Can we talk tomorrow?
Could we talk tomorrow?
sometimes even May we talk tomorrow?

In real use, it often works as a polite request to arrange a conversation, not just a question about physical ability. Context tells you which English version sounds best.