| verb | meaning | present | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| moći | can | mogu, možeš, može… | Mogu li ući? — May I come in? |
| morati | must, have to | moram, moraš… | Moram ići. — I have to go. |
| smjeti | be allowed to | smijem, smiješ… | Ovdje se ne smije pušiti. — Smoking is not allowed here. |
| trebati | need, should | treba (impersonal) / trebam | Treba da idem. / Trebam ići. — I should go. |
| htjeti, željeti | want | hoću, želim… | Želim spavati. — I want to sleep. |
Infinitive or da + present? Both mean the same: Moram ići (more Croatian, standard everywhere) = Moram da idem (more Serbian and Bosnian). With da, both verbs are conjugated. If the subjects are different, da is compulsory: Hoću da ti dođeš. — I want you to come.
Trap: ne moraš = you don't have to; ne smiješ = you mustn't. Ne moraš doći. — You don't need to come. Ne smiješ doći. — You mustn't come.
In the conditional: mogao bih (I could), trebao bi (you should), morao bih (I'd have to). In the past: Trebao sam otići. / Trebalo je da odem. — I should have left.
Don't confuse možda (maybe, an adverb) and može (“it's possible”, “OK”): Kafa? — Može! — Coffee? — Yes, please!
Translate the words from your reading, review them as flashcards and practise with gap-fill sentences.
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