Full and Short Spoken Infinitives
Informal speech can omit the final i of an infinitive. Standard writing normally keeps -ti or -ći, with a specific shortened -ti form before a following future auxiliary.
How It Works
You may hear moram radit or idem spavat in conversation. These short infinitives are common in some regional and informal usage; their frequency does not make them the neutral spelling for all written contexts.
The future has its own rule: radit ću, but ja ću raditi. In standard Croatian the shortened infinitive and auxiliary remain separate written words. This is a particular construction, not permission to drop i after every modal verb.
Infinitives in -ći retain their ending even before the auxiliary: doći ću, pomoći ćemo. Keep this distinction when converting a spoken line into neutral written Croatian.
Examples (3)
- Danas moram raditi do šest.
Today I have to work until six.
- Sutra ću poslati poruku.
I will send a message tomorrow.
- Pomoći ćemo vam nakon ručka.
We will help you after lunch.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Distinguish regional loss of final infinitive i from the specific standard future spelling rule.
Related Patterns
- Personal and Impersonal trebatiTwo Ways to Express Need
Trebati can take an infinitive to express an obligation.
Level 4 - ije / je / e in Related FormsIje Je and E in Related Forms
Other spelling changes depend on a different grammatical rule.
Level 5 - što / kaj / čaRecognizing Major Dialect Signals
Recognize regional speech without treating it as neutral standard writing.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
Practice Full and Short Spoken Infinitives in Bubblegum
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