This kind of Serbian future tense is used only in subordinate clauses (dependent sentences) and never on their own. Ja ču raditi – I will do is a proper future tense that shows an action that will happen in the future, and there is another form of the future tense in which this sentence would look like Ja budem radio. Formally, this tense is called „Future II“. Some linguists say that this is tense, and some say that this is a method. As it was said before, this form of Serbian future tense can be used only in the subordinate clause, and if to say more specifically, only with these conjunctions:
Ako – if
Kad – as
Dok – while, until
Čim – as soon as
One can draw a parallel with the subjunctive mood in Spanish or in English here.
In order to conjugate verbs in this tense, we need to know one more form of BITI – to be, and the conjugated verb will be in form of past tense:
RADITI – to do/to work
| Ja budem radio(m) Ja budem radila(f) | I will do |
| Ti budeš radio(m) Ti budeš radio(f) | You will do |
| On bude radio | He will do |
| Ona bude radila | She will do |
| Mi budemo radili | We will do |
| Vi budite radili | You will do |
| Oni, one, ona budu radili | They will do |
Examples:
Ako budem radio mnogo, biću umoran – if I work a lot, I will be tired
Dok ne bude završila, neće biti srećna – Until she doesn’t finish, she will not be happy
Čim budemo dovršili sve, otići ćemo u pozorište – As soon as we complete all, we will go to the theater
Pozovi me kad budeš išao kod kuće – Call me when you go home
Čim budem se vratio kod kuće, zvaću te – As soon as I return home, I will call you
Kad budemo bogati, ćemo kupiti veliku kuću – When we will be rich, we will buy a big house
Čim Zoran bude došao, počećemo da slavimo – As soon as Zoran will come, we will start to celebrate
Ako budeš lenj, nećeš dostići uspeha – If you will be lazy, you will not reach success
Dok bude radila tamo, neće imati vremena za ništa – While she works there, she will not have time for anything
Čim Milorad bude spreman, će napustiti to mesto gde žive – As soon as Milorad gets ready, he will leave the place where he lives
U kojim gradu ćeš da živeš ako budeš živeo u Hrvatskoj? – In which citz will you live if you (will) live in Croatia?
Dok tvoji prijateli ne budu da te podrže, neće biti dobri prijatelji – Until your friends support you, they won’t be good friends
Kad svi budu u dvorani, biće vreme za početak konferencije – When everybody are in the hall, it will be time to start to conference
Vocabulary
| umoran – tired završiti – to finish dovršiti – to complete srećan – happy napustiti – to leave/abandon dvorana – hall | spreman – ready uspeh – success podržati – to support bogat – rich srećan – happy početak – start |
Exercises
Decide whether to use future I or future II and use the correct conjugation
- Dok svi _______________, mi ćemo piti (PLESATI – to dance, stem change S-Š) – While everybody will be dancing, we will be drinking
- Podsetiću te da bi ________________ ovde u potrebnom vremenu (BITI – to be) – I will remind you to be here at the right time (literally: I will remind you in order to be here at the right time)
- Kada ____________ svoja obećava? (ISPUNITI – to fulfill) – When do you fulfill your promises?
- Ja takođe ne ______________ kafu ako ti nećeš – (PITI – to drink) – I won’t drink coffee if you don’t want
- Gde tvoj otac _________________ novac? (INVESTIRATI – to invest) – Where will your father invest money?
- Ako _______________ pijan, neću da dozvolim te da ideš napolje (BITI – to be) – If you get drunk, I won’t allow you to go outside
- ____________________ ništa novo dok ne _______________ sigurni u onom šta smo prošli pre toga (STUDIRATI – to study, BITI – to be) – We will not study anything new until we get confident* in what we have passed before that (*literally: will be confident)
- Da li __________________ onu haljinu ako znaž da ima ista u drugoj prodavnice jeftinije? (KUPITI – to buy) – Will you buy that dress if you know that there is the same one cheaper in another store?
- Ću te pozvati sutra ujutru da ______________ spreman kad ću doći (BITI – to be) – I will call you tomorrow morning so that you get ready when I come
- Čim ___________________, ćemo se preseliti u drugu zemlju (ODRASTATI – grow up) – As soon as we grow up, we will move to another country
Answers
1: budu plesali; 2: budeš; 3: ispunićeš/ćeš ispuniti; 4: neću piti; 5: će investirati; 6: budeš; 7: Ne budemo studirali, ćemo biti; 8: ćeš kupiti; 9: budeš; 10: budemo odrasli