INFINITIV

- Apersonal form of the verb (doesn't reveal the subject (person));

also the one found in the dictionary
- Doesn't tell us when and how the action is happening
- 2 main groups:
A. Ending with –ti:
klizati
pričati
pisati
planinariti
B. Ending with –ći (less common, mostly verbs which describe
movement):
ići
doći
stići
poći
*** When do we use infinitive?
A. Forming future tense:
Singular Plural
ću ćemo
ćeš ćete + INFINITIVE
će će
*ću/ćeš/će, ćemo/ćete/će represent the auxiliary verb, in this case the
verb hteti (to want) in present tense
-full version of the verb is:
hoću hoćemo
hoćeš hoćete
hoće hoće
...but when used as an auxiliary verb, we only use it's short form
(underlined).
Example:
Ja ću kuvati ručak danas. (This form, which includes the personal
pronoun, is less common. We use this form when we want to
accentuate the subject. So, in this example ''Ja ću kuvati ručak'', it
means that I don't usually make lunch, but today I will.)

Kuvaću supu za ručak. (The more common variant where auxiliary verb
and infinitive are blended into one word. Note: This can only be done
with the verbs whose infinitive ends in –TI!)
Example with a –ĆI verb:
Ja ću ići na ekskurziju u decembru.
Ići ću (two separate words!) na ekskurziju u decembru.

B.WITH VERBS OF INCOMPLETE MEANING

- verbs of incomplete meaning are those that cannot describe the
action on their own and therefore need another verb in order to
convey meaning
-those are: modal verbs (moći-can, morati-must/have to, hteti- want,
trebati- need) and verbs želeti (to wish/desire) and smeti (may).
Examples:
Ne mogu doći na žurku večeras.
Ne smem napraviti nijednu grešku.

ALTERNATIVE TO THIS CONSTRUCTION IS:

Da + present tense
Ne mogu da dođem na žurku večeras.
Ne smem da napravim nijednu grešku.

Exercise: Write the following sentences in Serbian. Use both the

form with the infinitive and the one with da+present tense.

You can say whatever you want, I don't believe you.

Možeš reći šta god želiš, neverujem ti.
Možeš da kažeš šta god želiš, neverujem ti.

Marko must go to Novi Sad tonight.

Marko mora će ići u Novi Sad većeras.
Marko mora da ide u Novi Sad većeras.

They wanted to go to a concert, but they got sick.

Oni hoće na kocert ali su se razboleli.
Hteli su da idu na concert ali su se razboleli.
He doesn't understand what you want to say.
Nerazume šta želiš da kažeš.
?
 C.INSTEAD OF GERUND
Example: Čitanje je korisno.
Čitati je korisno.
Now continue in the same fashion..
Planinarenje je teško. Sviranje je zabavno.
______Planinariti____ je teško. Svirati___ je zabavno.

Spavanje je zdravo. Ćutanje je zlato.

_____Spavati___ je zdravo. ćutati je zlato.