док

While Two Events Happen

Level 3Sounds Like dok za istovremene radn̂e

Use док to connect two events happening at the same time ("while"). The verb directly following док must be imperfective to express ongoing duration.

How It Works

In standard Serbian, док introduces a subordinate temporal clause denoting simultaneity (истовременост).

Key Grammatical Rules:

  • Aspect Constraint: In temporal clauses describing duration ("while"), the predicate in the док clause must use an imperfective verb (несвршени вид). In temporal boundary contexts, introducing a perfective verb shifts the meaning toward an endpoint ("until"), which usually pairs with negation: док не. Note that док can also function adversatively ("whereas"), where perfective verbs are naturally permitted without meaning "until" (e.g., Ја сам положио испит, док је он пао на испиту).
  • Tense Compatibility: Док works across all tenses. In the past, both verbs can be in the ordinary past tense (or the док clause can use the relative present to signal simultaneity with the past event). In future contexts, the temporal док clause typically takes the present tense or futur II; never use futur I in this subordinate clause (e.g., say Док будем радио... or Док радим..., never *Док ћу радити...).
  • Word Order and Clitics: Док sits at the start of the subordinate clause. Within the док clause, short pronoun and auxiliary clitics attach directly to the conjunction in clause-second position rather than following an overt subject pronoun: Док сам се ја шетао... or Док сам читао... (never *Док ја сам читао...).
  • Punctuation: In temporal clauses, when the док clause comes first (inversion), a comma is mandatory before the main clause; when the main clause comes first, no comma is needed. By contrast, when док is used adversatively ("whereas"), a comma preceding док is always strictly required.

Examples (4)

  1. Док смо се шетали по граду, разгледали смо излоге.

    While we were walking around the city, we were looking at shop windows.

    Word by Word: While were REFL walked around city, looked-at were shop-windows.

    Both verbs are imperfective past forms (шетали се and разгледали), expressing total simultaneity where two continuous events unfold concurrently.

  2. Док је чекао аутобус, срео је старог пријатеља.

    While he was waiting for the bus, he ran into an old friend.

    Word by Word: While is waited bus, met is old friend.

    This demonstrates partial simultaneity: the background process is imperfective (чекао је), while the interrupting event is perfective (срео је).

  3. Увек слушам радио док кувам ручак.

    I always listen to the radio while I cook lunch.

    Word by Word: Always listen-to-1SG radio while cook-1SG lunch.

    When the main clause precedes the subordinate clause in direct order, no comma is used before док.

  4. Док будем учио, ти можеш да читаш књигу.

    While I am studying, you can read a book.

    Word by Word: While will-be-1SG studied, you can-2SG that read-2SG book.

    In future settings, the dependent док clause naturally accepts future II (будем учио) to indicate an ongoing frame.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a perfective verb after док to express "while"

    Док сам скувао ручак, слушао сам музику.
    Док сам кувао ручак, слушао сам музику.

    The verb following temporal док must be imperfective (кувао, not the perfective скувао) to indicate an ongoing background duration rather than a completed boundary.

  • Placing clitics after subject pronouns rather than immediately after док

    Док ја сам читао књигу, она је спавала.
    Док сам ја читао књигу, она је спавала.

    In Serbian, auxiliary and pronominal clitics gravitate to the second slot in the subordinate clause, directly following the conjunction док.

How It Connects

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докLevel 3While Two Events Happen

Learn This First

To express simultaneous or overlapping actions with 'док' (while), learners must be familiar with subordinating time clauses, basic past tense constructions, and especially verbal aspect, as 'док' typically governs imperfective actions denoting duration.

Words in This Pattern

док