Breakdown of Ako budete imali problem u hotelu, pozovite recepciju.
imati
to have
ako
if
u
at
pozvati
to call
Questions & Answers about Ako budete imali problem u hotelu, pozovite recepciju.
Why does the sentence use budete imali after ako? Why not just imate?
Budete imali is the Future II form, and it is very common in Serbian after ako when you are talking about a possible situation in the future.
So:
- Ako budete imali problem... = If you have a problem... / If you happen to have a problem...
- Ako imate problem... can also be correct, but it sounds more general or less specifically future-oriented.
In this sentence, the speaker is giving instructions for a future situation, so budete imali is the most natural choice.
What exactly is budete imali grammatically?
It is the 2nd person plural / formal singular Future II of imati (to have).
It is made from:
- budete = a form of biti
- imali = the l-participle of imati
This matches vi, which in Serbian can mean:
- you all
- or you in a polite/formal singular sense
So budete imali literally corresponds to something like you will have had, but in real usage here it simply means if you have in a future condition.
Why is pozovite used here?