Kašljem zbog prehlade.

because of

Breakdown of Kašljem zbog prehlade.

• prehlada: a cold
• kašljati: to cough

Questions & Answers about Kašljem zbog prehlade.

Why is it kašljem and not ja kašljem?

In Serbian, the verb ending already tells you the subject, so kašljem by itself means I cough or I am coughing.

• kašljem = I cough / I’m coughing
• kašlješ = you cough
• kašlje = he/she coughs

Because of that, ja is usually omitted unless you want emphasis or contrast:

• Ja kašljem, a on kija. = I’m coughing, and he’s sneezing.

So in your sentence, Kašljem zbog prehlade. is completely natural.

What dictionary form does kašljem come from?

Kašljem comes from the verb kašljati, which means to cough.

Here is a useful mini-pattern:

• kašljati = infinitive
• kašljem = I cough
• kašlješ = you cough
• kašlje = he/she coughs

So kašljem is the 1st person singular present tense form.

Does kašljem mean I cough or I am coughing?

It can mean both.

In Serbian, the present tense often covers both the simple present and the present continuous from English, depending on context.