Being Able: moći

Level 1

Mogu means I can. Add the verb you can do in the infinitive.

How It Works

Moći tells what you are able to do, or what is possible.

PersonForm
jamogu
timožeš
on, ona, onomože
mimožemo
vimožete
onimogu

The first person singular and the third person plural look the same: mogu. The context tells you which one it is.

The g changes to ž in the middle of the paradigm (možeš, može). The ending -u appears only in mogu.

The second verb is in the infinitive in careful writing: Mogu doći, Možemo ići. In everyday speech many people use da and the present instead: Mogu da dođem. Both are standard Bosnian.

The question Možeš li pomoći? asks for help. To ask for permission, say Mogu li ući? (May I come in?). It is a common polite request.

Examples (5)

  1. Mogu doći sutra.

    I can come tomorrow.

    Doći is the infinitive after mogu.

  2. Možeš li pomoći?

    Can you help?

    Možeš is the ti form, and li marks the question.

  3. Selma može plivati.

    Selma can swim.

    Može is the third person singular.

  4. Ne možemo ići danas.

    We cannot go today.

    Ne goes before the verb.

  5. Mogu da dođem u šest.

    I can come at six.

    Da and the present is the spoken alternative.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting a conjugated verb straight after mogu.

    Mogu dolazim sutra.
    Mogu doći sutra.

    After mogu the next verb is an infinitive, or it follows da.

  • Keeping g in možeš, može, možemo and možete.

    Ti mogeš doći.
    Ti možeš doći.

    The g becomes ž before the endings -eš, -e, -emo and -ete.

How It Connects

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Being Able: moćiLevel 1

Learn This First

Mogu is the present of a modal verb.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

moći