Mrzim da čekam.

Because Serbian usually does not use subject pronouns unless they are needed for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

• mrzim already means I hate
• the ending -im tells you it is 1st person singular (I)

So:

• Mrzim da čekam. = I hate waiting.
• Ja mrzim da čekam. = also possible, but it sounds more like I hate waiting (maybe in contrast to someone else)

Serbian often leaves out ja, ti, on, ona, etc. when the verb form already makes the subject clear.

da čekam literally means something like that I wait, but in Serbian this structure is very commonly used where English would use an infinitive or a -ing form.

So:

• Mrzim da čekam. can correspond to
• I hate to wait
• I hate waiting

The pattern is:

• mrzim = I hate
• da
  • present-tense verb = an action

This da + present structure is extremely important in Serbian.

It often can, but in modern Serbian the da + present tense structure is very common, and for many speakers it sounds more natural in everyday speech.

So you may see both:

• Mrzim da čekam.
• Mrzim čekati.

Both mean roughly the same thing, but Mrzim da čekam is typically the more natural conversational choice.

This is one of the big differences from English:

• English often uses to wait or waiting
• Serbian very often uses da čekam

Because after da, Serbian usually uses a present-tense form to express an action that English might express with an infinitive.

So although čekam by itself means I wait / I am waiting, in:

• da čekam

it functions more like:

• to wait
• waiting

This is normal Serbian grammar, not a literal present-tense meaning.

The dictionary forms are:

• mrzeti = to hate
• čekati = to wait

In the sentence:

• mrzim is the 1st person singular form of mrzeti
• čekam is the 1st person singular form of čekati, used after da

So the full structure is:

• mrzeti → mrzim
• čekati → čekam

Because the subject of both actions is the same person: I.

• Mrzim = I hate
• da čekam = that I wait / to wait

So the sentence literally follows the pattern:

• I hate that I wait

But in natural English, that becomes:

• I hate waiting
• I hate to wait

This is very common in Serbian when the same subject does both actions.

Usually, Mrzim da čekam means something more general:

• I hate waiting
• I hate to wait

It expresses a general dislike, not necessarily one specific moment.

If you wanted to stress that it is happening right now, Serbian would usually make that clearer from context or by expanding the sentence, for example:

• Mrzim što sad čekam. = I hate that I’m waiting now.

So da čekam here is best understood as a general action, not a specific current situation.

This is a very useful question, because both can appear after verbs expressing emotion, but they are not the same.

• Mrzim da čekam. = I hate waiting / I hate to wait.
• Mrzim što čekam. = I hate that I’m waiting / I hate the fact that I’m waiting.

So:

• da + present often refers to an action in a more general, infinitive-like way
• što + clause often points more to a fact or situation

In this sentence, da čekam is the normal way to say I hate waiting.

čekati is imperfective.

That matters because the sentence is about an ongoing or repeated kind of action:

• waiting as an activity
• not one completed act

Imperfective verbs are commonly used for:

• ongoing actions
• repeated actions
• general activities

That fits perfectly with Mrzim da čekam = I hate waiting.

A perfective verb would not normally be used here in the same way, because perfective verbs usually refer to a completed action.

č is pronounced like ch in church, but typically with a firmer, more clearly marked sound.

So:

• čekam sounds approximately like CHEH-kam

A few pronunciation notes:

• č is not the same as c
• c in Serbian sounds like ts
• č sounds like English ch

Also, Serbian stress is not usually marked in normal writing, so learners normally just learn pronunciation by listening and repetition.

Yes, Serbian word order is flexible, but not every version sounds equally neutral.

The most natural neutral sentence is:

• Mrzim da čekam.

You could also say:

• Da čekam mrzim.

But that sounds marked, unusual, or poetic in most normal contexts.

So for everyday speech, stick with:

• Mrzim da čekam.

You negate the main verb:

• Ne mrzim da čekam. = I don’t hate waiting.

If you negate the second verb instead, the meaning changes:

• Mrzim da ne čekam.

That would mean something like:

• I hate not waiting

which is strange in most contexts.

So if your meaning is simply I don’t hate waiting, use:

• Ne mrzim da čekam.

Yes. This structure works with many verbs of liking, wanting, hating, beginning, trying, and so on.

For example:

• Volim da čekam. = I like waiting.
• Ne volim da čekam. = I don’t like waiting.
• Želim da čekam. = I want to wait.
• Moram da čekam. = I have to wait.

So da + present tense is a very productive pattern in Serbian.

Yes, very natural.

A native speaker would absolutely say:

• Mrzim da čekam.

It is short, idiomatic, and common in everyday conversation. For a learner, this is a very useful model sentence because it shows a very frequent Serbian pattern:

• [verb] + da + present tense

That pattern is one you will see again and again.