Na odmoru želim da čitam knjige za koje sada nemam vremena.

Na odmoru is the normal Serbian expression for on vacation / during vacation.

A lot of time expressions in Serbian use prepositions in ways that do not match English literally. Here, na + locative is idiomatic:

• na odmoru = on vacation
• na poslu = at work
• na fakultetu = at university / at the faculty

So this is something you mostly learn as a fixed phrase.

Odmoru is in the locative singular.

The preposition na can take different cases depending on meaning:

• na + accusative usually shows movement toward something
• na + locative usually shows location or being in a state/situation

In Na odmoru, there is no movement; it means while on vacation, so the locative is used.

In Serbian, after verbs like želeti (to want), it is very common to use:

• želim da čitam = I want to read

This is one of the most normal ways to express want to do something in modern Serbian.

You may also encounter an infinitive in some contexts or regional styles, but želim da čitam is the standard, everyday pattern most learners should get comfortable with.

Structure:

• želim = I want
• da čitam = that I read / to read

Even though da literally looks like that, in this structure it often corresponds to English to.

This is about aspect, which is very important in Serbian.

• čitati = imperfective verb, focusing on the process, habit, or ongoing activity of reading
• pročitati = perfective verb, focusing on finishing reading something

In this sentence, želim da čitam knjige suggests a general desire to spend time reading books, not necessarily to finish each one. So the imperfective čitam fits naturally.

Compare:

• Želim da čitam knjige. = I want to read books.
• Želim da pročitam tu knjigu. = I want to finish reading that book.

Knjige is the accusative plural of knjiga (book).

It is the direct object of čitam:

• čitam šta? → knjige

For feminine nouns like knjiga, the accusative plural looks the same as the nominative plural:

• nominative plural: knjige
• accusative plural: knjige

So even though the form is the same, its function here is accusative because it is the thing being read.

Za koje means something like for which.

It introduces a relative clause:

• knjige za koje sada nemam vremena
• literally: books for which I now do not have time

In more natural English, this becomes:

• books that I don’t have time for now

So Serbian uses za koje, while English often puts the preposition at the end:

• the books for which I have no time
• the books I have no time for

Both ideas are the same.

Because koje has to agree with knjige.

The noun knjige is:

• plural
• feminine

The relative pronoun must match the noun it refers to in gender and number, so we get the plural form koje.

At the same time, the pronoun also has a case, because it is governed by the preposition za. So koje here is the appropriate form meaning for which.

A useful way to think about it:

• it refers back to knjige
• it is inside the phrase za koje
• therefore it must both agree with knjige and fit after za

Because after the preposition za, the relative pronoun must be in the accusative.

The form koje here is the correct plural accusative form for the relative pronoun referring to knjige.

So:

• knjige = books
• za koje = for which / that ... for

Using koja here would not fit the case required by za in this sentence.

After negated possession with imati (to have), Serbian very often uses the genitive:

• imam vreme / imam vremena
• nemam vremena = I don’t have time

So vremena is genitive singular of vreme.

This genitive is especially common after negation:

• nemam novca = I don’t have money
• nemam vremena = I don’t have time
• nemam strpljenja = I don’t have patience

For learners, nemam vremena is best learned as a very common set phrase.

Sada means now, and its position is fairly flexible.

In this sentence:

• za koje sada nemam vremena

the word sada naturally modifies the whole idea I don’t have time now.

You could sometimes move adverbs around for emphasis, but this placement is very normal and neutral.

Compare:

• za koje sada nemam vremena = for which I don’t have time now
• za koje nemam vremena sada = also possible, but a bit differently focused

Serbian word order is more flexible than English, but not random. Different positions can sound more or less natural depending on emphasis.

Yes, absolutely.

Both are possible:

• sada nemam vremena
• nemam sada vremena

The difference is mostly one of rhythm and emphasis, not basic meaning.

In the original sentence, za koje sada nemam vremena sounds smooth and natural. But za koje nemam sada vremena would also be understandable and acceptable.

Yes. The clause za koje sada nemam vremena describes knjige.

So the structure is:

• želim da čitam knjige = I want to read books
• za koje sada nemam vremena = that I don’t have time for now

Together:

• I want to read books that I don’t have time for now.

This is exactly how relative clauses work in Serbian: a noun is followed by a clause introduced by a form of koji.

In some varieties or styles, yes, but želim da čitam is the safest and most common form for learners.

Modern Serbian strongly favors:

• želim da čitam

Using the infinitive directly may sound more formal, regional, or simply less common depending on the speaker and context.

So if you are learning standard everyday Serbian, želeti + da + present is the pattern to remember.

It can mean vacation / holiday / time off, depending on context.

So Na odmoru želim da čitam... could mean:

• while I’m on holiday
• during my vacation
• when I’m off work

The exact nuance depends on the situation, but grammatically it is the same phrase.