Grammar Overview
This page is designed to provide a focused summary of the key grammatical elements essential at the beginner level. Here you will find four distinct tabs, each dedicated to a specific grammatical category: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and pronouns. While the textbook covers a broad range of other grammatical categories, this section focuses on four fundamental categories to support your understanding of Croatian. Whether you are a student seeking to reinforce your learning or an instructor aiming to streamline your teaching, this page offers a clear and concise reference to the most important grammar points at the beginner level.
| Gender in Croatian
In English the noun gender is related to animacy, meaning that people are different from things. In English an inanimate noun (an object, place, or idea) is usually referred to as an “it;” a person is always a “he” or “she.” The plural “they” can be either animate or inanimate and can often be used to refer to a single person in English. In Croatian, the gender of nouns functions differently.
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Nouns
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Verbs
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Adjectives
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Pronouns
Nouns
All nouns in Croatian belong to one of the three genders: masculine, feminine, or neuter, regardless of animacy. For nouns that refer to things, the gender of a noun has nothing to do with the meaning of the word. Gender for inanimate nouns is only a grammatical category; it is related to how the word ends in its basic (or “dictionary”) form. Figuring out the gender of most nouns will not be difficult.
| Masculine Gender
Generally, when the dictionary form of the noun ends in “zero-ending” (i.e., it ends in a consonant) then the noun is masculine. The majority of masculine nouns end in a consonant, and when they are pluralized, they get the ending -i (automobil → automobili). For a more detailed breakdown of masculine nouns, look at the charts below.
(a) The most frequent ending forms for masculine gender nouns ending in a consonant
Inanimate (for things) | Animate (for living beings) | |||
singular | plural | singular | plural | |
N. | mobitel | mobitel-i | profesor | profesor-i |
G. | mobitel-a | mobitel-a | profesor-a | profesor-a |
D. | mobitel-u | mobitel-ima | profesor-u | profesor-ima |
A. | mobitel | mobitel-e | profesor-a | profesor-e |
V. | mobitel-e | mobitel-i | profesor-e | profesor-i |
L. | mobitel-u | mobitel-ima | profesor-u | profesor-ima |
I. | mobitel-om | mobitel-ima | profesor-om | profesor-ima |
(b) Masculine gender nouns ending in a palatal
singular | plural | |
N. | prijatelj | prijatelj-i |
G. | prijatelj-a | prijatelj-a |
D. | prijatelj-u | prijatelj-ima |
A. | prijatelj-a | prijatelj-e |
V. | prijatelj-u | prijatelj-i |
L. | prijatelj-u | prijatelj-ima |
I. | prijatelj-em | prijatelj-ima |
(c) One-syllable masculine nouns (these nouns can be animate or inanimate nouns)
singular | plural | singular | plural | |
N. | most | most-ov-i | puž | puž-ev-i |
G. | most-a | most-ov-a | puž-a | puž-ev-a |
D. | most-u | most-ov-ima | puž-u | puž-ev-ima |
A. | most | most-ov-e | puž-a | puž-ev-e |
V. | most-e | most-ov-i | puž-u | puž-ev-i |
L. | most-u | most-ov-ima | puž-u | puž-ev-ima |
I. | most-om | most-ov-ima | puž-em | puž-ev-ima |
(d) Sound changes with different cases for masculine nouns
Pay special attention to singular masculine nouns that end in -k or -h. A certain sound change occurs when a noun is declined (i.e., a different case form).
singular | plural | singular | plural | |
N. | otok | oto-c-i | orah | ora-s-i |
G. | otok-a | otok-a | orah-a | orah-a |
D. | otok-u | oto-c-ima | orah-u | ora-s-ima |
A. | otok | otok-e | orah | orah-e |
V. | oto-č-e | oto-c-i | ora-š-e | ora-s-i |
L. | otok-u | oto-c-ima | orah-u | ora-s-ima |
I. | otok-om | oto-c–ima | orah-om | ora-s-ima |
This is a general rule that you need to have in mind.
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- K+E = /ČE/
For example N.sing. otok → V.sing. otoče
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- H+E = /ŠE/
For example N.sing. orah → V.sing. oraše
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- K+I = /CI/
For example N.sing. otok → N.pl. otoci
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- H+I = /SI/
For example N.sing. orah → N.pl. orasi
singular | plural | singular | plural | |
N. | stric | stri-č-ev-i | pas | ps-i |
G. | stric-a | stri-č-ev-a | ps-a | pas-a |
D. | stric-u | stri-č-ev-ima | ps -u | ps-ima |
A. | stric-a | stri-č-ev-e | ps-a | ps-e |
V. | stri-č-e | stri-č-ev-i | ps-u | ps-i |
L. | stric-u | stri-č-ev-ima | ps-u | ps-ima |
I. | stric-em | stri-č-ev-ima | ps-om | ps-ima |
This is a general rule you need to have in mind.
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- C+E = /ČE/
For example N.sing. stric → V.sing. striče
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- FLEETING “a”
For example N.sing. pas → N.pl. psi
(e) Suppletion / Different stems for singular and plural forms for some masculine nouns
singular | plural | singular | plural | |
N. | brat | brać-a | čovjek | ljud-i |
G. | brat-a | brać-e | čovjek-a | ljud-i |
D. | brat -u | brać-i | čovjek-u | ljud-ima |
A. | brat-a | brać-u | čovjek-a | ljud-e |
V. | brat-e | brać-o | čovječ-e | ljud-i |
L. | brat-u | brać-i | čovjek-u | ljud-ima |
I. | brat-om | brać-om | čovjek-om | ljud-ima |
An example of a masculine noun that ends in –a.
- brat (brother) – follows the pattern of masculine animate nouns
- braća (brothers) – grammatical gender of the noun is feminine and thus will follow the feminine ending pattern. However, everything describing this noun has to be masculine. Example: Ovo su moja braća.
An example of a masculine noun that has a regular singular form and irregular plural form.
- čovjek (human being/man) – follows the pattern of masculine animate nouns
- ljudi (people) – completely different stem from the singular
(f) Masculine nouns that do NOT end in a consonant (two examples)
Noun posao (even though it ends in -o) is a masculine noun. It follows the pattern of:
- masculine inanimate noun
- one-syllable noun
- has a sound change with a fleeting “a”
singular | plural | |
N. | posa-o | posl-ov-i |
G. | posl-a | posl-ov-a |
D. | posl -u | posl-ov-ima |
A. | posao | posl-ov-e |
V. | posl-e | posl-ov-i |
L. | posl-u | posl-ov-ima |
I. | posl-om | posl-ov-ima |
Noun tata. Grammatical gender of the noun is feminine and thus will follow the feminine ending pattern. However, everything describing this noun has to be masculine. Example: Ovo je moj tata.
singular | plural | |
N. | tat-a | tat-e |
G. | tat-e | tat-a |
D. | tat-i | tat-ama |
A. | tat-u | tat-e |
V. | tat-o | tat-e |
L. | tat-i | tat-ama |
I. | tat-om | tat-ama |
| Feminine Gender
Generally, when the dictionary form of a singular noun ends in “-a”, the noun is feminine. Feminine nouns that end in -a in the singular form, when pluralized, will take the ending -e (knjiga → knjige).
(a) The most frequent ending forms for feminine gender nouns ending in –a
singular | plural | |
N. | žen-a | žen-e |
G. | žen-e | žen-a |
D. | žen-i | žen-ama |
A. | žen-u | žen-e |
V. | žen-o | žen-e |
L. | žen-i | žen-ama |
I. | žen-om | žen-ama |
(b) Nouns ending in –ad or –ost
singular | plural | singular | plural | |
N. | momč-ad | momč-ad-i | rad-ost | radost-i |
G. | momč-ad-i | momč-ad-i | radost-i | radost-i |
D. | momč-ad-i | momč-ad-ima | radost-i | radost-ima |
A. | momčad | momč-ad-i | radost | radost-i |
V. | momč-ad-i | momč-ad-i | radost-i | radost-i |
L. | momč-ad-i | momč-ad-ima | radost-i | radost-ima |
I. | momč-ad-i | momč-ad-ima | radost-i | radost-ima |
(c) Irregular feminine nouns (two examples)
singular | plural | singular | plural | |
N. | kći | kćeri | misao | misli |
G. | kćeri | kćeri | misli | misli |
D. | kćeri | kćerima | misli | mislima |
A. | kćer | kćeri | misao | misli |
V. | kćeri | kćeri | misli | misli |
L. | kćeri | kćerima | misli | mislima |
I. | kćeri | kćerima | misli | mislima |
| Neuter Gender
Generally, when the dictionary form of a singular noun ends in “-o” or “-e”, the noun is neuter. Neuter nouns that have the ending -o or -e in their singular form get the ending -a when pluralized (ogledalo → ogledala; polje → polja).
(a) The most frequent ending forms for neuter gender nouns ending in –o or -e
singular | plural | singular | plural | |
N. | sel-o | sel-a | polj-e | polj-a |
G. | sel-a | sel-a | polj-a | polj-a |
D. | sel-u | sel-ima | polj-u | polj-ima |
A. | sel-o | sel-a | polj-e | polj-a |
V. | sel-o | sel-a | polj-e | polj-a |
L. | sel-u | sel-ima | polj-u | polj-ima |
I. | sel-om | sel-ima | polj-em | polj-ima |
(b) Irregularities/differences between singular and plural forms
singular | plural | |
N. | dijet-e | djec-a |
G. | djetet-a | djec-e |
D. | djetet-u | djec-i |
A. | dijet-e | djec-u |
V. | dijet-e | djec-o |
L. | djetet-u | djec-i |
I. | djetet-om | djec-om |
Remember:
- dijete (child) = follows the regular pattern for neuter nouns with spelling differences between the Nominative case and other case forms. Pay close attention to this!
- djeca (children) = follows the pattern of feminine singular nouns. Be careful with spelling the plural forms of “djeca.”
Verbs
| Auxiliary Verbs
The verb ‘biti’ is the most used verb in Croatian. In the present tense it has two forms, a stressed and unstressed form. The verb ‘htjeti’ is the second auxiliary verb in Croatian. Similarly to ‘biti,’ in the present tense, it has two forms, a stressed and unstressed form.
BITI | HTJETI | |||
stressed form | unstressed form | stressed form | unstressed form | |
ja | jesam | sam | hoću | ću |
ti | jesi | si | hoćeš | ćeš |
on-ona-ono | jest | je | hoće | će |
mi | jesmo | smo | hoćemo | ćemo |
vi | jeste | ste | hoćete | ćete |
oni-one-ona | jesu | su | hoće | će |
| Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are used with other verbs to express ability, obligation, possibility, and so on. All modal verbs (except the verb ‘morati’) can be combined with other verbs in their infinitive form to make sentences. Example: Ja želim posjetiti katedralu. / Što trebam vidjeti? / Što moram posjetiti?
MORATI | SMJETI | MOĆI | TREBATI | |
ja | moram | smijem | mogu | trebam |
ti | moraš | smiješ | možeš | trebaš |
on-ona-ono | mora | smije | može | treba |
mi | moramo | smijemo | možemo | trebamo |
vi | morate | smijete | možete | trebate |
oni-one-ona | moraju | smiju | mogu | trebaju |
| Verbs that end in –ti
The majority of the verbs in their infinitive form end in -ti. Look at the following sections for a more detailed breakdown of these verbs.
(a) Regular verbs ending in –ati
SLUŠ-A-TI | GLED-A-TI | IGR-A-TI | SLUŠ-A-TI | |
ja | sluš-am | gled-am | igr-am | sluš-am |
ti | sluš-aš | gled-aš | igr-aš | sluš-aš |
on-ona-ono | sluš-a | gled-a | igr-a | sluš-a |
mi | sluš-amo | gled-amo | igr-amo | sluš-amo |
vi | sluš-ate | gled-ate | igr-ate | sluš-ate |
oni-one-ona | sluš-aju | gled-aju | igr-aju | sluš-aju |
(b) Verbs ending in –sti or –nuti
JE-STI | PROVE-STI | PA-STI* | MAK-NUTI | |
ja | je-d-em | prove-d-em | pa-d-n-em | makn-em |
ti | je-d-eš | prove-d-eš | pa-d-n-eš | makn-eš |
on-ona-ono | je-d-e | prove-d-e | pa-d-n-e | makn-e |
mi | je-d-emo | prove-d-emo | pa-d-n-emo | makn-emo |
vi | je-d-ete | prove-d-ete | pa-d-n-ete | makn-ete |
oni-one-ona | je-d-u | prove-d-u | pa-d-n-u | makn-u |
*One-syllable infinitive stem, thus -n- has to be added before the ending.
(c) Verbs ending in –iti or –jeti
MISL-ITI | ŽIV-JETI | |
ja | misl-im | živ-im |
ti | misl-iš | živ-iš |
on-ona-ono | misl-i | živ-i |
mi | misl-imo | živ-imo |
vi | misl-ite | živ-ite |
oni-one-ona | misl-e | živ-e |
(d) Verbs ending in –ovati, –evati, or –ivati
PUT-OVATI | KRALJ-EVATI | IZNAJMLJ-IVATI | |
ja | put-u-jem | kralj-u-jem | iznajmlj-u-jem |
ti | put-u-ješ | kralj-u-ješ | iznajmlj-u-ješ |
on-ona-ono | put-u-je | kralj-u-je | iznajmlj-u-je |
mi | put-u-jemo | kralj-u-jemo | iznajmlj-u-jemo |
vi | put-u-jete | kralj-u-jete | iznajmlj-u-jete |
oni-one-ona | put-u-ju | kralj-u-ju | iznajmlj-u-ju |
(e) Stem changes among verbs ending in –ati
ZV-ATI | PR-ATI | |
ja | z-o-v-em | p-e-r-em |
ti | z-o-v-eš | p-e-r-eš |
on-ona-ono | z-o-v-e | p-e-r-e |
mi | z-o-v-emo | p-e-r-emo |
vi | z-o-v-ete | p-e-r-ete |
oni-one-ona | z-o-v-u | p-e-r-u |
PIS-ATI | VIK-ATI | |
ja | pi-š-em | vi-č-em |
ti | pi-š-eš | vi-č-eš |
on-ona-ono | pi-š-e | vi-č-e |
mi | pi-š-emo | vi-č-emo |
vi | pi-š-ete | vi-č-ete |
oni-one-ona | pi-š-u | vi-č-u |
TRČ-ATI | DRŽ-ATI | |
ja | trč-im | drž-im |
ti | trč-iš | drž-iš |
on-ona-ono | trč-i | drž-i |
mi | trč-imo | drž-imo |
vi | trč-ite | drž-ite |
oni-one-ona | trč-e | drž-e |
| Verbs that end in –ći
Verbs that end in -ći have irregular forms in Croatian and you will need to learn them as we go through each unit. Look at the following sections for a more detailed breakdown of these verbs.
(a) Present tense of -ći verbs with -d- / -đ-
I-ĆI | DO-ĆI | PO-ĆI | |
ja | i-d-em | do-đ-em | po-đ-em |
ti | i-d-eš | do-đ-eš | po -đ-eš |
on-ona-ono | i-d-e | do-đ-e | po -đ-e |
mi | i-d-emo | do-đ-emo | po -đ-emo |
vi | i-d-ete | do-đ-ete | po -đ-ete |
oni-one-ona | i-d-u | do-đ-u | po -đ-u |
(b) Present tense of -ći verbs with -č- / -k-
RE-ĆI | RE-ĆI | PE-ĆI | |
ja | re-k-n-em | re-č-em | pe-č-em |
ti | re-k-n-eš | re-č-eš | pe-č-eš |
on-ona-ono | re-k-n-e | re-č-e | pe-č-e |
mi | re-k-n-emo | re-č-emo | pe-č-emo |
vi | re-k-n-ete | re-č-ete | pe-č-ete |
oni-one-ona | re-k-n-u | re-k-u | pe-k-u |
(c) Present tense of -ći verbs with -ž- / -g-
LE-ĆI | LE-ĆI | STRI-ĆI | |
ja | le-g-n-em | le-ž-em | stri-ž-em |
ti | le-g-n-eš | le-ž-eš | stri-ž-eš |
on-ona-ono | le-g-n-e | le-ž-e | stri-ž-e |
mi | le-g-n-emo | le-ž-emo | stri-ž-emo |
vi | le-g-n-ete | le-ž-ete | stri-ž-ete |
oni-one-ona | le-g-n-u | le-g-u | stri-g-u |
| Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive verbs are verbs that indicate that the subject performs an action on itself. They are characterized by the use of the pronouns “se.” For example, in the verb “umiti se” (to wash one’s face), the “se” shows that the subject is performing the action on themselves. Reflexive verbs are an essential part of Croatian grammar, helping to convey actions that are directed back at the subject.
With personal pronoun, GLEDATI SE | Without personal pronoun, GLEDATI SE |
ja se gledam | gledam se |
ti se gledaš | gledaš se |
on/ona/on se gleda | gleda se |
mi se gledamo | gledamo se |
vi se gledate | gledate se |
oni/one/ona se gledaju | gledaju se |
| Past Tense
Generally, the Past Tense consists of two parts:
1) the unstressed present tense form (the short form) of the auxiliary verb biti (to be)
2) active participle of the verb.
To form the active participle of a verb, start with the infinitive form of the verb, remove the final –TI or ĆI, and add the required ending to make the gender and number agree with the subject of the sentence.
singular | plural | |
masculine gender | -o | -li |
feminine gender | -la | -le |
neuter gender | -lo | -la |
For more detailed information on how to form the active participle, look at the sections below. It will give you the regular and irregular forms of active participles.
(a) Past tense of –ati verbs
SLUŠATI | ZVATI | TRČATI | PUTOVATI |
ja sam sluša-o/-la | ja sam zva-o/-la | ja sam trča-o/-la | ja sam putova-o/-la |
ti si sluša-o/-la | ti si zva-o/-la | ti si trča-o/-la | ti si putova-o/-la |
on je sluša-o | on je zva-o | on je trča-o | on je putova-o |
ona je sluša-la | ona je zva-la | ona je trča-la | ona je putova-la |
ono* je sluša-lo | ono je zva-lo | ono je trča-lo | ono je putova-lo |
mi smo sluša-li/-le | mi smo zva-li/-le | mi smo trča-li/-le | mi smo putovali/-le |
vi ste sluša-li/-le | vi ste zva-li/-le | vi ste trča-li/-le | vi ste putova-li/-le |
oni su sluša-li | oni su zva-li | oni su trča-li | oni su putova-li |
one su sluša-le | one su zva-le | one su trča-le | one su putova-le |
ona* su sluša-la | ona su zva-la | ona su trča-la | ona su putova-la |
* In the past tense, for neuter gender, most likely you will not hear a pronoun. Rather, you will hear a noun of neuter gender. Examples are: Dijete je slušalo/zvalo/trčalo/putovalo. Djeca su slušala/zvala/trčala/putovala…
(b) Past tense of –iti and –jeti verbs
MISL-ITI | ŽIV-JETI |
ja sam misli-o/-la | ja sam živi-o/živje-la |
ti si misli-o/-la | ti si živi-o/živje-la |
on je misli-o | on je živi-o |
ona je misli-la | ona je živje-la |
ono je misli-lo | ono je živjel-o |
mi smo misli-li/-le | mi smo živje-li/-le |
vi ste misli-li/-le | vi ste živje-li/-le |
oni su misli-li | oni su živje-li |
one su misli-le | one su živje-le |
ona su misli-la | ona su živje-la |
(c) Past tense of –sti or –nuti verbs
JE-STI | PROVE-STI | MAK-NUTI |
ja sam je-o/-la | ja sam prove-o/-la | ja sam maknu-o/-la |
ti si je-o/-la | ti si prove-o/-la | ti si maknu-o/-la |
on je je-o | on je prove-o | on je maknu-o |
ona je je-la | ona je prove-la | ona je maknu-la |
ono je jel-o | ono je prove-lo | ono je maknu-lo |
mi smo je-li/-le | mi smo prove-li/-le | mi smo maknu-li/-le |
vi ste je-li/-le | vi ste prove-li/-le | vi ste maknu-li/-le |
oni su je-li | oni su prove-li | oni su maknu-li |
one su je-le | one su prove-le | one su maknu-le |
ona su je-la | ona su prove-la | ona su maknu-la |
(d) Past tense of –ći verbs, related to the verb ići (motion verbs)
Most of the verbs that are related to motion end in -ći, and will behave in this way. In other words, when forming the past tense of ići, for example, the -ć- will change to -š- to which we need to add the appropriate ending (masculine/feminine/neuter) and number (singular/plural).
I-ĆI | DO-ĆI | PO-ĆI |
ja sam iš-ao/-la | ja sam doš-ao/-la | ja sam poš-ao/-la |
ti si iš-ao/-la | ti si doš-ao/-la | ti si poš-ao/-la |
on je iš-ao | on je doš-ao | on je poš-ao |
ona je iš-la | ona je doš-la | ona je poš-la |
ono je iš-lo | ono je doš-lo | ono je poš-lo |
mi smo iš-li/-le | mi smo doš-li/-le | mi smo poš-li/-le |
vi ste iš-li/-le | vi ste doš-li/-le | vi ste pošli/-le |
oni su iš-li | oni su doš-li | oni su pošli |
one su iš-le | one su doš-le | one su pošle |
ona su iš-la | ona su doš-la | ona su pošla |
(e) Past tense of other –ći verbs
PE-ĆI | LE-ĆI | RE-ĆI |
ja sam pek-ao/-la | ja sam leg-ao/-la | ja sam rek-ao/-la |
ti si pek-ao/-la | ti si leg-ao/-la | ti si rek-ao/-la |
on je peka-o | on je leg-ao | on je rek-ao |
ona je pek-la | ona je leg-la | ona je rek-la |
ono je pek-lo | ono je leg-lo | ono je rek-lo |
mi smo pek-li/-le | mi smo leg-li/-le | mi smo rek-li/-le |
vi ste pek-li/le | vi ste leg-li/le | vi ste rek-li/-le |
oni su pek-li | oni su leg-li | oni su rek-li |
one su pek-le | one su leg-le | one su rek-le |
ona su pek-la | ona su leg-la | ona su rek-la |
(f) Past tense of reflexive verbs
The cluster verb biti + reflexive pronoun se will always stay in that order. The cluster verb biti + reflexive pronoun se will change its place, depending on whether or not we use a personal name or a pronoun as the subject. The reflexive pronoun se will always be in the second place.
With personal pronoun, GLEDATI SE | Without personal pronoun, GLEDATI SE |
ja sam se gleda-o/-la | gleda-o/-la sam se |
ti se se gleda-o/-la | gleda-o/-la si se |
on se gleda-o | gleda-o se |
ona se gleda-la | gleda-la se |
ono se gleda-lo | gleda-lo se |
mi smo se gleda-li/-le | gleda-li/-le smo se |
vi ste se gleda-li/-le | gleda-li/-le su se |
oni su se glada-li | glada-li su se |
one su se gleda-le | glada-le su se |
ona su se glada-la | glada-la su se |
| Future Tense
(a) Future tense of -ti verbs
The most common structure of creating the future tense is: Subject (pronoun or noun) + unstressed form of htjeti + infinitive form of a verb. However, when we know who the subject of the sentence is, in everyday conversation, speakers will often omit the subject. This results in differences in writing. See examples below.
With personal pronoun | Without personal pronoun | Pronunciation |
ja ću gledati | gladat ću | /gledaću/ |
ti ćeš gledati | gledat ćeš | /gledaćeš/ |
on-ona-ono će gladati | gledat će | /gledaće/ |
mi ćemo gledati | gledat ćemo | /gledaćemo/ |
vi ćete gledati | gledat ćete | /gledaćete/ |
oni-one-ona će gledati | gledat će | /gledaće/ |
(b) Future tense of -ći verbs
With personal pronoun | Without personal pronoun |
ja ću ići | ići ću |
ti ćeš ići | ići ćeš |
on-ona-ono će ići | ići će |
mi ćemo ići | ići ćemo |
vi ćete ići | ići ćete |
oni-one-ona će ići | ići će |
Adjectives
An adjective is a word that gives additional, descriptive information about a noun (big table, smart girl). Adjective endings change according to the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and the number (singular or plural) of the noun they modify, or describe. In order to form adjectives correctly, start with the dictionary form of the adjective, which is always given in the masculine singular form. The masculine form is the base form, or stem, to which other gendered endings are added. Be careful, sometimes when forming feminine and neuter adjectives, the spelling of the stem may change a little bit. For example, dob-ar and pamet-an are both masculine adjective forms, but dobra/pametna and dobro/pametno are the feminine and neuter forms. Note how the vowel in the masculine forms disappear for feminine and neuter.
| Definite Adjectives
(a) General endings for adjectives in SINGULAR forms
masculine | feminine | neuter | |
N. | visok-i | visok-a | visok-o |
G. | visok-og | visok-e | visok-og |
D. | visok-om | visok-oj | visok-om |
A. | visok-i / visok-og* | visok-u | visok-o |
V. | visok-i | visok-a | visok-o |
L. | visok-om | visok-oj | visok-om |
I. | visok-im | visok-om | visok-im |
* inanimate vs. animate
(b) General endings for adjectives in PLURAL forms
masculine | feminine | neuter | |
N. | visok-i | visok-e | visok-a |
G. | visok-ih | visok-ih | visok-ih |
D. | visok-im | visok-im | visok-im |
A. | visok-e | visok-e | visok-a |
V. | visok-i | visok-e | visok-a |
L. | visok-im | visok-im | visok-im |
I. | visok-im | visok-im | visok-im |
(c) Adjectives in masculine and neuter singular forms when the stem of an adjective ends in one of the palatals
masculine | neuter | |
N. | vruć-i | vruć-e |
G. | vruć-eg | vruć-eg |
D. | vruć-em | vruć-em |
A. | vruć-i / vruć-eg* | vruć-e |
V. | vruć-i | vruć-e |
L. | vruć-em | vruć-em |
I. | vruć-im | vruć-im |
* inanimate vs. animate (vrući for inanimate, vrućeg for animate)
(d) Adjectives in masculine and neuter plural forms when the stem of an adjective ends in one of the palatals
masculine | neuter | |
N. | vruć-i | vruć-a |
G. | vruć-ih | vruć-ih |
D. | vruć-im | vruć-im |
A. | vruć-e | vruć-a |
V. | vruć-i | vruć-a |
L. | vruć-im | vruć-im |
I. | vruć-im | vruć-im |
(e) Irregular adjective forms in SINGULAR. Example of topao (warm)
masculine | feminine | neuter | |
N. | topa-o | topl-a | topa-o |
G. | topl-og | topl-e | topl-og |
D. | topl-om | topl-oj | topl-om |
A. | topl-i / topl-og* | topl-u | topl-o |
V. | topl-i | topl-a | topl-o |
L. | topl-om | topl-oj | topl-om |
I. | topl-im | topl-om | topl-im |
(f) Irregular adjective forms in PLURAL. Example of topao
masculine | feminine | neuter | |
N. | topl-i | topl-e | topl-a |
G. | topl-ih | topl-ih | topl-ih |
D. | topl-im | topl-im | topl-im |
A. | topl-e | topl-e | topl-a |
V. | topl-i | topl-e | topl-a |
L. | topl-im | topl-im | topl-im |
I. | topl-im | topl -im | topl-im |
(g) Irregular adjective forms in SINGULAR. Example of vreo (boiling hot)
masculine | feminine | neuter | |
N. | vre-o | vrel-a | vrel-o |
G. | vrel-og | vrel-e | vrel-og |
D. | vrel-om | vrel-oj | vrel-om |
A. | vrel-i / vrel-og* | vrel-u | vrel-o |
V. | vrel-i | vrel-a | vrel-o |
L. | vrel-om | vrel-oj | vrel-om |
I. | vrel-im | vrel-om | vrel-im |
(h) Irregular adjective forms in PLURAL. Example of vreo
masculine | feminine | neuter | |
N. | vrel-i | vrel-e | vrel-a |
G. | vrel-ih | vrel-ih | vrel-ih |
D. | vrel-im | vrel-im | vrel-im |
A. | vrel-e | vrel-e | vrel-a |
V. | vrel-i | vrel-e | vrel-a |
L. | vrel-im | vrel-im | vrel-im |
I. | vrel-im | vrel-im | vrel-im |
Pronouns
Pronouns are words that replace nouns to avoid repetition and make sentences clearer and more concise. Pronouns can refer to people, animals, things, or ideas, and they agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they replace. There are several types of pronouns in B/C/M/S, such as personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, interrogative pronouns, etc. Here you will find only those that you encounter within the ten units of the textbook. You will learn more about different types of pronouns as you continue studying the language.
| Personal Pronouns
Just like in English, Croatian has personal pronouns indicating a specific person or a group of people.
Singular forms
First person | Second person | Third person masc. | Third person fem. | Third person neut. | |
N. | ja | ti | on | ona | ono |
G. | mene / me | tebe / te | njega / ga | nje / je | njega / ga |
D. | meni / mi | tebi / ti | njemu / mu | njoj / joj | njemu / mu |
A. | mene / me | tebe / te | njega / ga | nju / je / ju | njega / ga |
V. | — | ti | — | — | — |
L. | meni | tebi | njemu | njoj | njemu |
I. | mnom | tobom | njim | njom | njim |
Plural forms
First person | Second person | Third person masc. | Third person fem. | Third person neut. | |
N. | mi | vi | oni | one | ona |
G. | nas | vas | njih / ih | ||
D. | nama / nam | vama / vam | njima / im | ||
A. | nas | vas | njih / ih | ||
V. | — | vi | — | — | — |
L. | nama | vama | njima | ||
I. | nama | vama | njima |
The difference between the stressed and unstressed forms of personal pronouns
Personal pronouns have stressed and unstressed forms. The unstressed form will always be placed between the verb and direct object. For example: Pripremam joj juhu. (I am preparing a soup for her.) The stressed form will be placed at the beginning or at the end of the sentence. It serves to emphasize the information. For example: Njoj ću pokloniti knjigu. (I will give her a book.)
Few more examples:
- Tebi govorim.
- Govorim ti istinu.
- Vidio sam je. / Vidio sam ju.
- Vidio ju je.
- Nju je vidio. / Vidio je nju.
| Possessive Pronouns
Most likely, when you want to answer a question such as – Whose is this? – you will use a possessive pronoun (my, your, his, her, etc.) or someone’s name in your answer. Remember that each possessive pronoun has to be the same gender of the thing it refers to. Regardless of the gender of the speaker, or the person to whom something belongs, the possessive pronoun has to have the same grammatical gender of the thing it describes or refers to.
SINGULAR | PLURAL | |||||
masculine | feminine | neuter | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
N. | moj | moja | moje | moji | moje | moja |
G. | mojeg/mog | moje | mojeg/mog | mojih | mojih | mojih |
D. | mojem/mom | mojoj | mojem/mom | mojim | mojim | mojim |
A. | mojeg/ mog moj* | moju | moje | moje | moje | moja |
V. | moj | moja | moje | moji | moje | moja |
L. | mojem.mom | mojoj | mojem/mom | mojim | mojim | mojim |
I. | mojim | mojom | mojim | mojim | mojim | mojim |
* mojeg/mog (animate noun) / moj (inanimate)
The same pattern is used for tvoj – tvoja – tvoje – tvoji – tvoje – tvoja
SINGULAR | PLURAL | |||||
masculine | feminine | neuter | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
N. | njegov | njegova | njegovo | njegovi | njegove | njegova |
G. | njegovog | njegove | njegovog / njegova | njegovih | njegovih | njegovih |
D. | njegovom | njegovoj | njegovom | njegovim | njegovim | njegovim |
A. | njegovog / njegov* | njegovu | njegovo | njegove | njegove | njegova |
V. | njegov | njegova | njegovo | njegovi | njegove | njegova |
L. | njegovom / njegovu | njegovoj | njegovom | njegovim | njegovim | njegovim |
I. | njegovim | njegovom | njegovim | njegovim | njegovim | njegovim |
* njegovog (animate noun) / njegov (inanimate)
SINGULAR | PLURAL | |||||
masculine | feminine | neuter | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
N. | njen | njena | njeno | njeni | njene | njena |
G. | njenog | njene | njenog | njenih | njenih | njenih |
D. | njenom | njenoj | njenom / njenu | njenim | njenim | njenim |
A. | njenog / njen | njenu | njeno | njene | njene | njena |
V. | njen | njena | njeno | njeni | njene | njena |
L. | njenom | njenoj | njenom | njenim | njenim | njenim |
I. | njenim | njenom | njenim | njenim | njenim | njenim |
To express that something belongs to her, you can use njezin or njen (in a correct gender form)
* njenog (animate noun) / njen (inanimate)
SINGULAR | PLURAL | |||||
masculine | feminine | neuter | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
N. | naš | naša | naše | naši | naše | naša |
G. | našeg | naše | našeg | naših | naših | naših |
D. | našem | našoj | našem | našim | našim | našim |
A. | nešeg / naš | našu | naše | naše | naše | naša |
V. | naš | naša | naše | naši | naše | naša |
L. | našem | našoj | našem | našim | našim | našim |
I. | našim | našom | našim | našim | našim | našim |
* našeg (animate noun) / naš (inanimate)
The same pattern is used for vaš – vaša – vaše – vaši – vaše – vaša
| Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns are used when we want to specify something or someone, and they are very often used with the question tko (Tko je ovo?) or što (Što je ovo?).
The usage of the demonstrative pronoun depends on where the thing that we are referring to is located. In other words, if the thing that we are referring to is closer to a speaker (a person asking a question) we need to use ovo. If the thing we are referring to is closer to a listener (a person answering the question), we need to use to. If the thing we are referring to is equally far away from both speaker and a listener, we need to use ono.
This = ovo
That = to
That over there = ono
Below you will find demonstrative pronouns only in their Nominative form.
SINGULAR | PLURAL | |||||
masculine | feminine | neuter | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
N. | ovaj | ova | ovo | ovi | ove | ova |
taj | ta | to | ti | te | ta | |
onaj | ona | ono | oni | one | ona |
Note: there are other demonstrative pronouns, but you will encounter them at later stages of your studies.
| Interrogative and Relative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. They help in gathering information about people, things, places, and other aspects, and like other pronouns, they can decline for case. Relative pronouns are used to introduce relative clauses, which provide additional information about a noun mentioned previously. They connect the main clause to the subordinate clause.
Below you will find these pronouns only in their Nominative form.
SINGULAR | PLURAL | |||||
masculine | feminine | neuter | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
N. | koji | koja | koje | koji | koje | koja |
čiji | čija | čije | čiji | čije | čija | |
kakav | kakva | kakvo | kakvi | kakve | kakva |
Two other pronouns in this category that you encountered throughout all ten units are tko (ko) and što (šta).
Nominative | tko | što |
Genitive | koga | čega |
Dative | komu | čemu |
Accusative | koga | što |
Vocative | – | – |
Locative | kom(e) | čemu |
Instrumental | kim(e) | čim(e) |