Breakdown of Kada budem stigla na aerodrom, proveriću da li moj let kasni.
moj
my
na
to
kasniti
to be late
hteti
will
Questions & Answers about Kada budem stigla na aerodrom, proveriću da li moj let kasni.
Why does the sentence use budem stigla instead of a simple future like ću stići?
Because budem stigla is future II in Serbian.
In sentences like this, Serbian often uses future II in a subordinate clause introduced by words such as kada, ako, čim, or pošto, especially when that action will happen before another future action.
Here the order is:
- first: I arrive at the airport
- then: I check whether my flight is late
So Serbian naturally says:
- Kada budem stigla... = When I have arrived / when I arrive...
- proveriću... = I will check...
Using ću stići here would not sound right in standard usage for this kind of time clause.
What exactly is budem?
Budem is a form of the verb biti (to be).
In this sentence, it is used to form future II:
- budem stigla
- literally something like I be arrived
The full pattern is:
- budem stigao / stigla
- budeš stigao / stigla
- bude stigao / stigla
- etc.
So budem is not random here; it is the auxiliary that helps create this future form.