Doing Two Things at Once
-ći form = while doing something.
How It Works
| Verb | Present verbal adverb |
|---|---|
| čitati | čitajući |
| hodati | hodajući |
| smijati se | smijući se |
| ići | idući |
| raditi | radeći |
The form never changes for gender or number. It belongs to the same subject as the main verb: Hodajući kroz Baščaršiju, slušali smo muziku. Both actions are by the same people.
Avoid it when the two verbs have different subjects. Hodajući kući, počela je kiša does not work, because the rain is not walking. Use dok instead.
It belongs to written and formal style more than casual speech. The word idući also means "next", as in idući put.
Examples (5)
- Hodajući kroz Baščaršiju, slušali smo muziku.
Walking through Baščaršija, we listened to music.
Hodajući shares the subject we.
- Smijući se, ušla je u sobu.
Laughing, she walked into the room.
Smijući se keeps its se.
- Idući ulicom, srela je komšiju.
Walking along the street, she met her neighbour.
Idući is the present adverb of ići.
- Vozeći se prema Jajcu, gledali su rijeku.
Driving toward Jajce, they watched the river.
Vozeći se is reflexive.
- Radeći u bašči, pjevala je.
Working in the garden, she sang.
Radeći comes from raditi.
Common Mistakes
Using it with a different subject.
Hodajući kući, počela je kiša.Dok sam hodao kući, počela je kiša.The rain is not walking, so use a clause with dok.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The present verbal adverb.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice Doing Two Things at Once in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Bosnian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
