Bounded Events in General Statements

Level 5

Perfective present forms are not limited to a single future event. They can occur in generalizations, repeated scenarios and sayings.

How It Works

Kad završim posao, ugasim računalo. can describe a routine. Each completion and switch-off is bounded, but the whole scenario can recur. An explicit phrase such as svaki dan makes that interpretation easier to identify.

This differs from describing an activity unfolding at the moment of speaking, which normally calls for an imperfective present: Sada čitam. A perfective present form is still morphologically present even when its contextual time is general or future.

Use the surrounding sentence to distinguish readings. Kad završim, nazvat ću te points toward a particular future occasion; svaki put kad završim, spremim dokument sets out a recurring procedure.

Examples (3)

  1. Svaki put kad završim poruku, provjerim adresu primatelja.

    Every time I finish a message, I check the recipient’s address.

  2. Kad se voda zaledi, poveća joj se volumen.

    When water freezes, its volume increases.

  3. Obično popijem čaj prije nego što izađem iz kuće.

    I usually drink a cup of tea before I leave the house.

How It Connects

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

Bounded Events in General StatementsLevel 5

Learn This First

A dependent sequence can give a perfective present a generic rather than current-event reading.