Breakdown of Ako ovo rešenje ne bude dobro, tražićemo novo rešenje.
Questions & Answers about Ako ovo rešenje ne bude dobro, tražićemo novo rešenje.
Why is it ne bude dobro and not nije dobro?
Because the sentence talks about a possible future situation.
- nije dobro = is not good now, in the present
- ne bude dobro = is not good / does not turn out good at that future point
After ako when Serbian refers to a future condition, it very often uses the form bude rather than a present-tense form like je.
So:
- Ako ovo rešenje nije dobro... = if this solution is not good (now)
- Ako ovo rešenje ne bude dobro... = if this solution is not good / does not prove good (when the time comes)
What exactly is bude here?
Bude is the special form of biti used in future-dependent clauses like this one.
In traditional grammar, this is treated as future II of biti. In practice, learners usually just need to remember:
- after ako
- future meaning, Serbian often uses budem / budeš / bude / budemo / budete / budu
So Ako ovo rešenje ne bude dobro... is a very standard pattern.
Why is tražićemo written as one word?
Because Serbian future I can be formed with the auxiliary ću, ćeš, će, ćemo, ćete, će attached to the infinitive stem.
From tražiti:
- ja ću tražiti
- mi ćemo tražiti
But when the auxiliary comes after the infinitive stem, it combines into one word:
- tražićemo
So tražićemo means we will look for / we will seek.
A useful thing to remember:
- mi ćemo tražiti = also correct
- tražićemo = also correct
- tražiti ćemo = not standard
Why is there no word for we?
Because Serbian usually drops subject pronouns when they are not needed.
The ending -ćemo already tells you the subject is we.
So:
- tražićemo = we will seek
- mi tražićemo would sound unnecessary in normal speech
- mi ćemo tražiti is possible if you want emphasis or contrast
Why are ovo and novo in that form?
They agree with rešenje, which is a neuter singular noun.
So the forms are:
- ovo rešenje = this solution
- novo rešenje = new solution
Serbian adjectives and demonstratives must agree with the noun in:
- gender
- number
- case
Since rešenje is neuter singular, you get ovo and novo.
What case is rešenje in each part of the sentence?
It is not the same grammatical function in both places, even though the form looks the same.
ovo rešenje
Here rešenje is the subject, so it is in the nominative.novo rešenje
Here rešenje is the direct object of tražićemo, so it is in the accusative.
Why do they look identical? Because for many neuter singular inanimate nouns, nominative and accusative have the same form.
Why is it dobro? Is that an adverb or an adjective?
Here it is functioning as a predicate adjective, agreeing with rešenje.
Because rešenje is neuter singular, the matching form is dobro.
So in this sentence:
- rešenje je dobro = the solution is good
It looks identical to the adverb dobro meaning well, but here it is not an adverb like in:
- On radi dobro = He works well
What does ako do in this sentence?
Ako means if and introduces the condition.
The structure is:
- Ako
- condition
- result clause
So:
- Ako ovo rešenje ne bude dobro = if this solution is not good
- tražićemo novo rešenje = we will look for a new solution
This is a very common Serbian pattern for real or possible future conditions.
Could the word order be different?
Yes, Serbian word order is fairly flexible, but the given sentence is the most neutral and natural version.
Standard order here:
- Ako ovo rešenje ne bude dobro, tražićemo novo rešenje.
You could change it for emphasis, for example:
- Ako ovo rešenje ne bude dobro, novo rešenje ćemo tražiti.
That puts extra focus on novo rešenje, but it sounds more marked.
So for learners, the original word order is the best one to remember first.
Why is the negative written as ne bude, two words?
Because in Serbian, ne is usually written separately from the verb.
So:
- ne bude
- ne tražimo
- ne radi
There are some common exceptions, such as:
- nisam
- nemam
- neću
But with bude, the correct spelling is ne bude.
Why use tražiti here and not a perfective verb like potražiti?
Tražiti is imperfective and gives a neutral meaning: we will look for / seek a new solution.
A perfective form like potražiti would add a slightly different nuance, more like:
- we’ll go look for
- we’ll make an attempt to find
So:
- tražićemo novo rešenje = neutral, general
- potražićemo novo rešenje = a bit more bounded, one concrete attempt/action
In this sentence, tražićemo is very natural.
Could I also say Ako ovo rešenje nije dobro, tražićemo novo rešenje?
Yes, but the meaning shifts a little.
- Ako ovo rešenje nije dobro... focuses more on the solution’s present quality: if this solution is not good
- Ako ovo rešenje ne bude dobro... sounds more like a future test or future outcome: if this solution turns out not to be good
So both are possible in the right context, but the original sentence is better if you mean a future, still-uncertain result.
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