Mrzim da čekam.

I hate waiting.

Breakdown of Mrzim da čekam.

• da: that
• čekati: to wait
• mrzeti: to hate

Questions & Answers about Mrzim da čekam.

Why is it mrzim and not ja mrzim?

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.

What exactly does da čekam mean here?

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.

Why doesn’t Serbian use an infinitive here?

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