# Bosnian (BCS):  Do I have to repeat the "sam" more than once in a sentence?



## musicalchef

Selam/Zdravo,

When using two (or more) past tense verbs in a sentence, in which the subject is the same for both, do we have to repeat the "sam," "si," "je," or whichever both times?

For example, I'm trying to say:  "I found a good map of Zagreb on the internet, and I saw where the train station is."

"XXX* sam dobru mapu Zagreba na internetu, a sam vidjela gdje je zeljeznicki kolodvor."
* Waiting for past of "  naći" in another thread.

Do I need the second "sam," or is the first sufficient?

Hvala!


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## dudasd

Usually (not always though) one auxillary verb is enough:

Našla sam dobru mapu Zagreba na internetu(,) i vidjela gdje je željeznički kolodvor.

But it is also correct if you say:

Našla sam dobru mapu Zagreba na internetu i vidjela sam gdje je željeznički kolodvor.

(Note: in this case you should use "i", not "a", for in this second case you get so-called "opposite" sentences.)


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## musicalchef

Hvala lijepo!  

The differences between "i" and "a" are probably in my book but I haven't gotten to them yet.


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## Athaulf

Note also that your first sentence is ungrammatical even if you replace i with a, because of the word order:

_Našla sam dobru mapu Zagreba na internetu i _sam vidjela_ *vidjela sam* gdje je željeznički kolodvor.

_Generally speaking, when the subject is elided and you use the short form of the auxiliary verb, the auxiliary verb comes after the participle (although there are exceptions, for example when the verb is preceded by an adverb of time). Rules of this sort are very complicated, but it's essential that you follow them, or otherwise your sentences won't make any sense.


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## musicalchef

Hvala!  I knew that happened at the beginning of a sentence, but I wasn't sure if it was at the beginning of other clauses or not.


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## phosphore

Athaulf said:


> Note also that your first sentence is ungrammatical even if you replace i with a, because of the word order:
> 
> _Našla sam dobru mapu Zagreba na internetu i _sam vidjela_ *vidjela sam* gdje je željeznički kolodvor._
> 
> Generally speaking, when the subject is elided and you use the short form of the auxiliary verb, the auxiliary verb comes after the participle (although there are exceptions, for example when the verb is preceded by an adverb of time). Rules of this sort are very complicated, but it's essential that you follow them, or otherwise your sentences won't make any sense.


 
I do not think you explained it well. The thing is that the short forms of verbs "biti" and "hteti" are enclitics and that means that they have to be after an accented word, while "i", in this particular case, and all other conjunctions are proclitics and that means that they have to be before an accented word. That is why "i sam vidjela" is not, while "i onda sam videla" is absolutely correct.


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## dudasd

In this particular case, I'd point out that enclitics generally don't follow the connective "i". "Te" is a connective as well (and almost identical to "i", and _not accented_), but in this case the regular order or words is: _Našla sam dobru mapu Zagreba te sam vidjela gdje je željeznički kolodvor_.

As Athaulf said, it's a very complicated set of rules, and probably the best way to memorize them is making a list of examples, every time you meet a new construction.


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## phosphore

I apologise for saying such a stupid thing that enclitics cannot be placed after any conjunction: they cannot be placed after "i", "ni" and "a". However, I do not think it has something to do with some very complicated rules.


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