Questions & Answers about Kada pada kiša, ostajem kod kuće i čitam knjigu.
Why does Serbian say kiša pada? Is it literally rain falls?
Yes. Padati literally means to fall, so kiša pada is literally rain is falling. That is the normal Serbian way to say it is raining.
Unlike English, Serbian does not need a dummy subject like it. The real subject is kiša (rain), so the sentence is built around that:
- kiša pada = rain falls / it rains
This is a very common weather expression.
Why is kada used here? Can I also say kad?
Yes. Kada and kad both mean when.
- kada is a bit more full/formal/neutral
- kad is very common in everyday speech and writing
So these are both natural:
- Kada pada kiša, ostajem kod kuće.
- Kad pada kiša, ostajem kod kuće.
The meaning does not really change here.
Why are all the verbs in the present tense if the sentence talks about something habitual?
In Serbian, the present tense is often used for habitual or general repeated actions, just like in English:
- When it rains, I stay home and read a book.
So: