-am Present

Present Verbs Like Čitati

Level 1

The regular čitati pattern uses -am, -aš, -a, -amo, -ate and -aju. The ending identifies the subject’s person and number.

How It Works

The full present of čitati is čitam, čitaš, čita, čitamo, čitate, čitaju. Many familiar verbs such as gledati follow the same pattern.

The third-person plural čitaju differs clearly from third-person singular čita. A plural subject needs the plural form even when it names a group of similar people.

This present can describe a current activity or a habit: Čitam sada. and Čitam svaki dan. Croatian does not need an English-style be plus -ing form for the current activity. Learn the present form with the infinitive because verbs such as pisati use a different stem and pattern.

Examples (4)

  1. Čitam novu knjigu.

    I am reading a new book.

    -am identifies first-person singular.

  2. Čitate li novine?

    Do you read the newspaper?

    -ate addresses plural or respectful vi.

  3. Djeca čitaju.

    The children are reading.

    The plural subject takes čitaju.

  4. Ana gleda film.

    Ana is watching a film.

    Gledati follows the same present pattern.

How It Connects

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

-am PresentLevel 1Present Verbs Like Čitati

Learn This First

A conjugation table assumes the person and number distinctions shown by subject pronouns.

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Words in This Pattern