Questions & Answers about Čekam te ispred muzeja.
Why is it čekam and not čekati?
Čekam is the conjugated present-tense form of the verb čekati (to wait).
- čekati = the infinitive, to wait
- čekam = I wait / I am waiting
In Serbian, you usually need a conjugated verb in a full sentence, just like in English:
- Čekati te ispred muzeja = To wait for you in front of the museum (not a normal complete sentence)
- Čekam te ispred muzeja = I’m waiting for you in front of the museum
Why is te used here?
Te means you and is the accusative form of the 2nd person singular pronoun ti.
The verb čekati takes a direct object, so Serbian uses the accusative:
- Ja čekam tebe = I am waiting for you
- Čekam te = I’m waiting for you
The short form te is a clitic and is much more natural in everyday speech than the full form tebe unless you want emphasis.
Compare:
- Čekam te. = neutral, normal
- Čekam tebe. = more emphatic, like I’m waiting for you
Why isn’t the sentence ?