The Croatian Future: radit ću
The future is built from the same material as everything else in Croatian: a little clitic in second position. Meet ću — and finally solve the mystery of the café order you've been using since chapter two.
A Clitic Makes the Future
ću, ćeš, će, ćemo, ćete, će + the infinitive:
| Person | Future |
|---|---|
| ja | radit ću — I'll work |
| ti | radit ćeš |
| on / ona | radit će |
| mi | radit ćemo |
| vi | radit ćete |
| oni | radit će |
Second position rules, as always: Sutra ću raditi (tomorrow I'll work) — ću slides in behind sutra.
The Spelling Handshake
When the infinitive comes first, -ti drops its i — two words, one handshake:
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| -ti verbs drop the i | raditi → radit ću, pisati → pisat ću |
| -ći verbs keep everything | ići → ići ću, doći → doći ću |
Questions and Refusals
Questions summon the full verb hoćeš; refusal uses the fused negative you met in First Sentences:
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| Hoćeš li ići u kino? | Will you go to the cinema? |
| Hoćete li doći sutra? | Will you come tomorrow? (polite) |
| Neću. | I won't. (nisam, nemam, neću — the trio complete) |
«Ja ću kavu» Decoded
The café order from chapter two is the future with the verb politely omitted:
Ja ću kavu. Ti ćeš pivo?
I'll (have) a coffee. You a beer?
Note: Ja ću (piti) kavu — clitic + accusative, verb understood. Now you know why the whole country orders this way.
And the national motto, at last with its grammar showing:
Vidjet ćemo.
We'll see.
Note: vidjeti + ćemo — the official answer to all planning questions in Croatia.
💬 Planning (loosely)
Što ćeš raditi za vikend?
What will you do over the weekend?
Sutra ću raditi, a u nedjelju ćemo ići na more.
Tomorrow I'll work, and on Sunday we'll go to the seaside.
Hoćeš li stići?
Will you manage it all?
Vidjet ćemo.
We'll see.