Breakdown of Dok čekam autobus, sedim na stanici i čitam vesti na telefonu.
i
and
čitati
to read
telefon
phone
na
at
Questions & Answers about Dok čekam autobus, sedim na stanici i čitam vesti na telefonu.
What does dok mean here?
Here dok means while or as. It introduces an action happening at the same time as the main action:
- Dok čekam autobus = While I’m waiting for the bus
In other contexts, dok can also mean until, but in this sentence it clearly means while because both actions are happening at the same time.
Why are čekam, sedim, and čitam all in the present tense?
They are in the present tense because the sentence describes actions happening right now or generally at the same time:
- čekam = I wait / I am waiting
- sedim = I sit / I am sitting
- čitam = I read / I am reading
Serbian does not have a separate form exactly like the English present continuous with am waiting, am reading, etc. The ordinary present tense often covers both:
- Čekam autobus. = I wait for the bus / I am waiting for the bus
The exact meaning depends on context.
Why is there no word for I in the sentence?
Because Serbian usually does not need the subject pronoun when it is already clear from the verb ending.
- čekam already means