Needing Something: treba mi
Needing Something
Treba mi means I need; the verb agrees with the thing needed.
How It Works
| Who needs it | Short dative |
|---|---|
| I | mi |
| you | ti |
| he, it | mu |
| she | joj |
| we | nam |
| you (polite or plural) | vam |
| they | im |
The thing needed is in the nominative: Treba mi kafa. Trebaju mi nove cipele.
With an infinitive or an abstract thing use treba: Treba mi odmor. Treba ići. Bosnian also has ja trebam with a normal subject, as in Trebam pomoć. Both are heard, and treba mi is the pattern this lesson teaches first. You can also answer a question like Šta ti treba? (What do you need?) with the thing alone: Hljeb i mlijeko.
Examples (5)
- Treba mi kafa.
I need a coffee.
One thing: treba.
- Trebaju mi knjige.
I need books.
Several things: trebaju.
- Treba li ti pomoć?
Do you need help?
The question with li.
- Treba nam hljeb.
We need bread.
Nam for we.
- Treba joj odmor.
She needs a rest.
Joj for she.
Common Mistakes
Not matching the verb to the thing
Treba mi knjige.Trebaju mi knjige.The verb agrees with what you need, so a plural noun takes trebaju.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Treba mi uses a dative pronoun.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice Needing Something: treba mi in Bubblegum
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