Conjugation of the verb "imati" in the present tense:
Task:
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Beginner lesson course: Serbian 101
Jeremija’s family has six suspects and one missing object
The present-tense forms are imam, imaš, ima, imamo, imate and imaju. Serbian often omits subject pronouns because the ending already identifies the person: Imam ključ means Ja imam ključ; Imaju automobil can mean oni or one imaju automobil.
After imati, the possessed noun functions as a direct object. Many feminine nouns ending in -a change to -u in the singular: ima sestru, ima ćerku, ima torbu. Inanimate masculine and neuter nouns usually keep the familiar form: ima ključ, ima pismo.
Imati changes before the clue can make sense
| Latinica | Ћирилица | English |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremija ima malu kutiju sa starim fotografijama. | Јеремија има малу кутију са старим фотографијама. | Jeremija has a small box containing old photographs. |
| Njegove sestre imaju različite ključeve od podruma. | Његове сестре имају различите кључеве од подрума. | His sisters have different keys to the cellar. |
| Da li ti imaš poruku koja nedostaje? | Да ли ти имаш поруку која недостаје? | Do you have the missing message? |
| Mi nemamo plavu torbu iz hodnika. | Ми немамо плаву торбу из ходника. | We do not have the blue bag from the hallway. |
| Baka ima poslednji trag u džepu kaputa. | Бака има последњи траг у џепу капута. | Grandmother has the final clue in her coat pocket. |
Cross out impossible owners after every answer
Write every family member’s name around the missing object. After each video clue, add ima or nema beside one person and remove any impossible owner; explain the final solution in three full sentences.
- Complete: Ja ______ ključ.
- Write imaju fotografije in Cyrillic.
- Change sestra after ima: On ima ______.
- Negative form for mi?
- Translate poslednji trag.
The last possession solves the household mystery
- imam
- имају фотографије
- sestru
- nemamo
- the final clue
Invent one extra clue that fits the solution but does not repeat the video. Give it to a partner and see whether the mystery remains logically solvable.
Marina Petrović