Having: imati

Level 1

Imati = to have; the present is regular.

How It Works

Imati (to have) is regular in the present:

PersonForm
jaimam
tiimaš
on, ona, onoima
miimamo
viimate
oni, one, onaimaju

Use it for family, objects and ages: Imam sestru. Imam auto. Imam dvadeset godina.

The negative is one word, nemam, with nemaš, nema, nemamo, nemate, nemaju. After it, the thing you lack goes in the genitive: Nemam vremena. (I have no time.) This is covered in Level 2.

Ima also means "there is": Ima li kafe? (Is there any coffee?) It is the same verb, with no person in the sentence.

Examples (5)

  1. Imam brata.

    I have a brother.

    Imam is ja + -am.

  2. Emina ima mali stan u Sarajevu.

    Emina has a small flat in Sarajevo.

    The ona form is ima.

  3. Imate li kafu?

    Do you have coffee?

    Imate is the vi form.

  4. Imamo sat vremena.

    We have an hour.

    Imamo is the mi form.

  5. Djeca imaju školu.

    The children have school.

    Imaju is the oni form.

Common Mistakes

  • Using ne imam.

    Ne imam brata.
    Nemam brata.

    The usual negative of imati is one word, nemam.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Having: imatiLevel 1

Learn This First

Imati is a present-tense verb.

Words in This Pattern

imatinemati