Lenguia | A1 Croatian Grammar: 71 Topics & Examples

Every Croatian noun has one of three genders: masculine, feminine, or neuter. You can usually tell which from the ending of the dictionary (nominative singular) form. Most masculine nouns end in a consonant (stol, grad, prijatelj). Most feminine nouns end in -a (kuća, knjiga, žena). Most neuter nouns end in -o or -e (selo, more, dijete). Gender matters because it controls every word that agrees with the noun: adjectives, demonstratives, possessives, past-tense verbs and many case endings all change shape to match. There is no word for 'the' or 'a', so learning the gender of each noun from the start is essential.

Key rule

A consonant ending is usually masculine, -a is usually feminine, and -o or -e is usually neuter — and every modifier must match the noun's gender.

Examples

Ovo je dobar prijatelj.
Ovo je dobra prijatelj.
Prijatelj is masculine, so the adjective takes the masculine form dobar, not the feminine dobra.
Ovo je velika kuća.
Ovo je velik kuća.
Kuća ends in -a and is feminine, so the adjective must be velika.
Ovo je malo selo.
Ovo je mali selo.
Selo ends in -o and is neuter, so the adjective takes the neuter -o ending: malo.

Common mistakes

Assuming a final consonant is always masculine
Ovo je velik noć.
Ovo je velika noć.
Some common nouns ending in a consonant (noć, ljubav, stvar, riječ) are feminine and need feminine agreement.
Treating -a nouns ending as always feminine
Moja tata radi.
Moj tata radi.
A handful of nouns in -a (tata, kolega, sudac) are masculine despite the ending.

A1Cases

No Articles (definiteness from context)

Nema članova

Croatian has no words for 'a', 'an' or 'the'. A bare noun like knjiga can mean 'a book' or 'the book' depending on context. Whether something is definite or indefinite is shown by the situation, by word order, and later by special adjective forms — not by an article. So 'Imam knjigu' can mean 'I have a book' or 'I have the book'. If you really need to point something out, you can use a demonstrative like ovaj/taj/onaj ('this/that'), but you must not add one just to translate 'the'. Resist the urge to insert a little word before every noun.

Key rule

Croatian uses no articles — leave the noun bare and let context, word order and adjective form carry definiteness.

Examples

Imam knjigu.
Imam jednu knjigu.
Plain 'I have a/the book' is just Imam knjigu; jednu adds the meaning 'one (certain)' and is not how you translate 'a'.
Pas spava.
Taj pas spava.
'The dog sleeps' is simply Pas spava; adding taj turns it into the marked 'that dog'.
Kupujem kruh.
Kupujem ten kruh.
There is no article like 'the' before kruh; the noun stands alone.

Common mistakes

Inserting jedan as if it were 'a'
Trebam jedan savjet.
Trebam savjet.
Jedan means 'one/a certain' and adds emphasis; it is not the indefinite article and should not appear by default.
Adding a demonstrative to translate 'the'
Ta kuća je velika kad mislim na bilo koju kuću.
Kuća je velika.
Taj/ta/to means 'that' and points something out; it is not a neutral 'the'.

A1Cases

Nominative Case — Subject & Citation

Nominativ — padež subjekta

The nominative is the basic, dictionary form of a noun and the case of the subject — the person or thing doing the action. It answers the questions tko? ('who?') for people and što? ('what?') for things. In 'Pas spava' ('The dog is sleeping'), pas is in the nominative because the dog is the one sleeping. The nominative is also used after the verb biti ('to be') for the predicate noun: 'Ona je studentica' ('She is a student'). Because it is the form you find in dictionaries, it is your starting point before learning the other cases. The endings are simply the typical gender endings: consonant (m), -a (f), -o/-e (n).

Key rule

The nominative is the dictionary form, marks the subject (tko? / što?), and is used for the predicate noun after biti.

Examples

Pas spava na podu.
Psa spava na podu.
The subject 'the dog' must be in the nominative pas, not the accusative/genitive psa.
Moja sestra studira medicinu.
Moju sestru studira medicinu.
The subject must be nominative (moja sestra); moju sestru would be the object form.
Ona je studentica.
Ona je studenticu.
After biti the predicate noun stays in the nominative: studentica, not the accusative studenticu.

Common mistakes

Using an object form as the subject
Psa spava.
Pas spava.
The doer of the action takes the nominative pas; psa is an object form.
Putting the predicate noun in the accusative
On je doktora.
On je doktor.
After biti the predicate noun stays nominative: On je doktor.

A1Cases

Accusative Case + the Animacy Rule

Akuzativ i kategorija živosti

The accusative is the case of the direct object — the thing directly affected by the verb. It answers koga? ('whom?') and što? ('what?'). For feminine nouns in -a the ending changes to -u (kuća → vidim kuću). For neuter nouns nothing changes (vidim selo). For masculine nouns there is a special rule called animacy: living masculines (people, animals) take a genitive-like -a (vidim psa, vidim prijatelja), while non-living masculines look exactly like the nominative (vidim stol, vidim grad). So whether a masculine noun is alive decides its accusative form. This is one of the first truly Croatian rules to master.

Key rule

The direct object goes in the accusative: feminine -a → -u, neuter unchanged, and masculine animates take -a while inanimates keep the nominative form.

Examples

Vidim psa.
Vidim pas.
Pas is an animate masculine noun, so the accusative takes -a: psa.
Vidim stol.
Vidim stola.
Stol is an inanimate masculine noun, so its accusative equals the nominative: stol.
Čitam knjigu.
Čitam knjiga.
Feminine knjiga takes -u in the accusative: knjigu.

Common mistakes

Leaving an animate masculine object in the nominative
Vidim prijatelj.
Vidim prijatelja.
Animate masculine nouns take the -a ending in the accusative: prijatelja.
Adding -a to an inanimate masculine object
Gledam filma.
Gledam film.
Film is inanimate, so its accusative equals the nominative: film, with no -a.

A1Cases

Genitive Case — Formation

Genitiv — tvorba

The genitive is the most used case in Croatian. In the singular it is built with -a for masculine and neuter nouns (grad → grada, selo → sela) and -e for feminine nouns in -a (kuća → kuće). It answers koga? ('of whom?') and čega? ('of what?'). You meet the genitive everywhere: after many prepositions (od, do, iz, kod, bez), for possession (krov kuće), for quantity (čaša vode), and in negated sentences (nema kruha). Because it appears so often, learning to form the singular genitive cleanly is one of the best early investments. Watch for fleeting -a in some masculine nouns (otac → oca, pas → psa).

Key rule

Form the singular genitive with -a (masculine/neuter), -e (feminine in -a) and -i (feminine in a consonant), watching for the dropped fleeting -a.

Examples

krov kuće
krov kuća
Feminine kuća takes -e in the genitive: kuće, not the nominative kuća.
centar grada
centar grad
Masculine grad takes -a in the genitive: grada.
boja mora
boja more
Neuter more takes -a in the genitive: mora, not the nominative more.

Common mistakes

Leaving a feminine noun in the nominative
kraj ulica
kraj ulice
Feminine -a nouns take -e in the genitive: ulice.
Failing to add -a to a masculine genitive
iz grad
iz grada
Masculine nouns take -a in the genitive: grada.

A1Cases

Genitive for Possession

Genitiv posvojnosti

Croatian often shows possession with the genitive: the possessor goes into the genitive and follows the thing possessed. So 'my brother's car' is auto mojega brata — literally 'the car of my brother'. The possessed noun comes first and stays in whatever case the sentence needs; the possessor follows in the genitive. This is the normal way to say 'of' relations: knjiga prijateljice ('the friend's book'), vrata kuće ('the door of the house'). For single-word possessors you often also have a possessive adjective (bratov auto), but the genitive construction is general and always available, especially when the possessor has its own modifier.

Key rule

Show possession by putting the possessor in the genitive after the possessed noun: auto brata, knjiga prijateljice.

Examples

auto mojega brata
auto moj brat
The possessor 'my brother' must be in the genitive: mojega brata, not the nominative moj brat.
knjiga prijateljice
knjiga prijateljica
The possessor 'friend' is feminine and goes to the genitive -e: prijateljice.
vrata kuće
vrata kuća
'The door of the house' needs the genitive kuće, not the nominative kuća.

Common mistakes

Leaving the possessor in the nominative
kuća moj otac
kuća mojega oca
The possessor must be in the genitive: mojega oca.
Putting the possessor before the possessed in nominative order
brat auto
auto brata
Croatian puts the possessed first and the possessor after it in the genitive: auto brata.

A1Cases

Genitive of Negation

Genitiv uz negaciju

When you negate possession or existence, the noun usually goes into the genitive instead of the accusative. So 'I have money' is Imam novac (accusative), but 'I don't have money' is Nemam novca (genitive). The same happens with 'there is / there isn't': Ima kruha → Nema kruha ('There's no bread'). This is the Slavic genitive of negation. The most reliable cases are nemati ('not have') and nema ('there is no'), where the genitive is the norm. With ordinary negated verbs the genitive is also common, especially for partial or non-specific objects: Ne pijem kave ('I don't drink coffee').

Key rule

Under negation — especially with nemati and nema — the object or existential noun goes into the genitive: Nemam novca; Nema kruha.

Examples

Nemam novca.
Nemam novac.
Negated nemati takes the genitive: novca, not the accusative novac.
Nema kruha.
Nema kruh.
The existential nema governs the genitive: kruha.
Nemam vremena.
Nemam vrijeme.
Under negation the abstract object goes to the genitive: vremena.

Common mistakes

Keeping the accusative after nemati
Nemam vrijeme.
Nemam vremena.
Nemati triggers the genitive of negation: vremena.
Using the nominative after nema
Nema kruh.
Nema kruha.
The impersonal nema governs the genitive: kruha.

A1Cases

Genitive after Quantity Words

Genitiv uz količinu (uvod)

Words of quantity in Croatian govern the genitive. After puno/mnogo ('a lot'), malo ('a little'), and after measure nouns like čaša ('a glass') or kilogram, the thing measured goes into the genitive. So 'a lot of water' is puno vode, 'a little time' is malo vremena, and 'a glass of wine' is čaša vina. For uncountable (mass) nouns you use the genitive singular (puno kruha, malo soli). The quantity word itself stays the same; only the following noun takes the genitive ending. This is the everyday partitive pattern you need for talking about food, drink and amounts.

Key rule

Quantity and measure words (puno, malo, čaša, kilogram…) put the following noun into the genitive: puno vode, čaša vina.

Examples

puno vode
puno voda
Puno governs the genitive: vode, not the nominative voda.
malo vremena
malo vrijeme
Malo takes the genitive of the mass noun: vremena.
čaša vina
čaša vino
The measure noun čaša requires the genitive: vina.

Common mistakes

Leaving the noun in the nominative after puno/malo
puno voda
puno vode
Quantifiers govern the genitive: vode.
Using the accusative after a measure noun
čaša vino
čaša vina
Measure nouns take the genitive of what is measured: vina.

A1Cases

The Seven-Case System — Overview

Pregled padežnog sustava

Croatian has seven cases, and each one answers a particular question and does a particular job. Nominativ (tko? što?) is the subject. Genitiv (koga? čega?) covers possession, quantity, and many prepositions. Dativ (komu? čemu?) is the recipient or direction to a person. Akuzativ (koga? što?) is the direct object. Vokativ is the case of address (calling someone). Lokativ (o kome? o čemu?) is always used with a preposition for location and topic. Instrumental (kim? čim?) expresses the means or the company. Every noun, adjective and pronoun changes endings to show its case. This overview is your map before you drill each case in detail.

Key rule

Croatian has seven cases — N(tko/što), G(koga/čega), D(komu/čemu), A(koga/što), V(address), L(o kome/čemu), I(kim/čim) — each marked by endings and tied to its own question.

Examples

Pas spava.
Psa spava.
The subject is the nominative pas, answering tko/što (nominative).
kuća mojega brata
kuća moj brat
Possession uses the genitive: mojega brata (koga/čega, genitive).
Dajem knjigu bratu.
Dajem knjigu brata.
The recipient is the dative bratu (komu, dative), not the genitive brata.

Common mistakes

Confusing the dative recipient with the genitive
Dajem knjigu brata.
Dajem knjigu bratu.
The recipient answers komu? and takes the dative: bratu.
Using the accusative for static location
Knjiga je na stol.
Knjiga je na stolu.
Location (gdje?) with na takes the locative: stolu; the accusative is for motion.

A1Cases

Dative Case — Formation & Recipient

Dativ — tvorba i primatelj

The dative case (dativ) marks the recipient of an action — the person you give, say, send, or show something to. In English this is the indirect object, often introduced by 'to' or 'for'. In Croatian there is no extra word: you simply change the noun ending. Masculine and neuter nouns take -u (brat → bratu, dijete → djetetu), and feminine nouns take -i (sestra → sestri). The dative answers the question komu? (to whom?). It is one of the seven Croatian cases, and most learners meet it first with verbs of giving and saying, such as dati, reći, pisati, and pomoći.

Key rule

The dative marks the recipient and answers komu?: add -u to masculine/neuter nouns and -i to feminine nouns.

Examples

Dajem knjigu bratu.
Dajem knjigu brat.
The recipient must be in the dative; masculine brat → bratu (-u).
Pišem pismo sestri.
Pišem pismo sestra.
Feminine sestra takes the dative ending -i: sestri.
Reci to učitelju.
Reci to učitelja.
After reći the addressee is dative (učitelju), not genitive/accusative (učitelja).

Common mistakes

Leaving the recipient in the nominative
Dajem poklon sestra.
Dajem poklon sestri.
The indirect object must take the dative; feminine -a → -i (sestri).
Using the accusative for the recipient
Pišem majku.
Pišem majci.
With pisati the person written to is the dative recipient (majci), not the accusative object.

A1Cases

Dative for Direction Towards a Person

Dativ smjera prema osobi

When you go 'to a person' in Croatian — to the doctor, to grandma, to a friend — you use the dative, not the accusative you would use for places. You can say it with the bare dative (Idem liječniku) or with the preposition k(a) (Idem k liječniku); both mean 'I'm going to the doctor'. Compare this with going to a place, which uses u or na plus the accusative (Idem u školu). So Croatian splits direction into two patterns: towards a person uses the dative, while towards a place uses u/na plus accusative. The form ka (with -a) appears before words starting with k or g: ka kući, ka gradu.

Key rule

Movement toward a person takes the dative (Idem liječniku / k liječniku); movement toward a place takes u/na + accusative.

Examples

Idem liječniku.
Idem liječnika.
Direction to a person is dative (liječniku), not accusative (liječnika).
Idem k prijatelju.
Idem u prijatelja.
Toward a person uses k + dative, not u + accusative (which is for places).
Sutra idemo baki.
Sutra idemo baku.
Going 'to grandma's' is the dative baki, not the accusative baku.

Common mistakes

Using the accusative for a person you go to
Idem liječnika.
Idem liječniku.
Direction toward a person is dative (liječniku), not accusative.
Using u + accusative with a person
Idem u baku.
Idem baki.
U + accusative is for places; for a person use the dative (baki) or k + dative.

A1Cases

Locative Case — Formation (always with a preposition)

Lokativ — tvorba (uvijek s prijedlogom)

The locative case (lokativ) tells where something is or what something is about. Its endings are the same as the dative: -u for masculine and neuter nouns (grad → gradu, selo → selu) and -i for feminine nouns (kuća → kući, škola → školi). The one feature you must remember is that the locative is NEVER used alone — it always follows a preposition such as u (in), na (on), o (about), or po (around). So you say u kući (in the house), na stolu (on the table), o filmu (about the film). It answers gdje? (where?) for location and o kome?/o čemu? (about whom/what?).

Key rule

The locative always follows a preposition (u, na, o, po) and uses dative-like endings: -u (m/n) and -i (f).

Examples

Knjiga je na stolu.
Knjiga je na stol.
Static location after na takes the locative stolu, not the accusative stol.
Živim u gradu.
Živim u grad.
U + locative (gradu) shows location; u + accusative (grad) would mean motion into.
Razgovaramo o filmu.
Razgovaramo o film.
The preposition o requires the locative: o filmu.

Common mistakes

Using the locative without a preposition
Kući sam cijeli dan.
U kući sam cijeli dan.
The locative cannot stand alone; it needs a preposition like u (u kući).
Using the accusative for static location
Knjiga je na stol.
Knjiga je na stolu.
For 'where' (no motion) na takes the locative stolu, not the accusative stol.

A1Cases

Instrumental Case — Formation & Means

Instrumental — tvorba i sredstvo

The instrumental case (instrumental) shows the means or tool you use to do something — and, with the preposition s/sa, the company you do it with. To write WITH a pen, to travel BY bus, to go WITH a friend: all instrumental. Masculine and neuter nouns take -om, or -em after a soft consonant (olovka → olovkom, but nož → nožem). Feminine nouns in -a take -om (sestra → sestrom). The means is expressed by the bare instrumental, with no preposition (Pišem olovkom — I write with a pen). Company needs the preposition s or sa (Idem sa sestrom — I go with my sister). The case answers čime? (with what?) and s kim? (with whom?).

Key rule

Means uses the bare instrumental (-om/-em, fem -om); company uses s/sa + instrumental.

Examples

Pišem olovkom.
Pišem s olovkom.
Means takes the bare instrumental (olovkom); inserting s for an instrument is non-standard.
Putujem autobusom.
Putujem autobus.
'By bus' is the instrumental of means: autobusom, not the nominative autobus.
Idem sa sestrom.
Idem sestrom.
Accompaniment needs the preposition s/sa: sa sestrom.

Common mistakes

Adding s/sa to an instrument
Pišem s olovkom.
Pišem olovkom.
Means is the bare instrumental; s/sa is only for company, not for tools.
Omitting s/sa for a companion
Idem sestrom.
Idem sa sestrom.
Accompaniment requires the preposition s/sa: sa sestrom.

A1Cases

Vocative Case — Formation (-e / -u / -o; palatalization)

Vokativ — tvorba (-e, -u, -o; palatalizacija)

The vocative case (vokativ) is the form you use to call or address someone directly: Ivane! Prijatelju! Gospođo! It is fully alive in Croatian — you really do change the name's ending when you speak to a person. Masculine nouns usually take -e (Ivan → Ivane, gospodin → gospodine) or -u after certain soft consonants (prijatelj → prijatelju, kralj → kralju); a few stems palatalize before -e (Bog → Bože, vrag → vraže). Feminine nouns in -a take -o (sestra → sestro, gospođa → gospođo), but those in -ica take -e (Marica → Marice); female names in -ija often take -o too (Marija → Marijo). Neuter nouns keep the nominative form.

Key rule

Address forms change ending: masculine -e/-u (with k,g,h → č,ž,š before -e), feminine -a → -o but -ica → -e.

Examples

Ivane, dođi ovamo!
Ivan, dođi ovamo!
Direct address requires the vocative: Ivan → Ivane.
Dragi prijatelju!
Dragi prijatelje!
Soft-stem prijatelj takes -u in the vocative: prijatelju, not prijatelje.
Dobar dan, gospodine!
Dobar dan, gospodin!
When addressing someone, gospodin becomes gospodine.

Common mistakes

Using the nominative to address someone
Ivan, dođi!
Ivane, dođi!
Direct address takes the vocative: Ivan → Ivane.
Using -e instead of -u after a soft consonant
Prijatelje moj!
Prijatelju moj!
Soft-stem masculines take -u: prijatelju, kralju, mužu.

A1Register

Vocative — Usage in Address & Greetings

Vokativ — uporaba u obraćanju

Knowing how to form the vocative is one thing; knowing WHEN to use it is another. You use the vocative whenever you turn to a person and address them directly: calling someone over (Ivane!), getting attention (Gospodine, oprostite!), opening a letter (Dragi prijatelju!), or naming someone inside a sentence (Ana, možeš li doći?). In speech the vocative is set off by intonation; in writing it is set off by commas. Formal and polite address uses titles in the vocative (gospodine, gospođo, profesore), while family and friends use first names and family terms (mama, tata, bako, prijatelju). Greetings often combine with the vocative: Dobar dan, gospođo!

Key rule

Use the vocative whenever you address someone directly — in calls, greetings, and letters — choosing first names (ti) or titles like gospodine/gospođo (Vi).

Examples

Gospodine, oprostite, koliko je sati?
Gospodin, oprostite, koliko je sati?
Addressing a stranger politely needs the vocative gospodine, not the nominative gospodin.
Dragi prijatelju, kako si?
Dragi prijatelj, kako si?
A letter opening uses the vocative prijatelju.
Ana, možeš li mi pomoći?
Ana možeš li mi pomoći?
Direct address is set off by a comma: Ana, ...

Common mistakes

Using the nominative title to address a stranger
Gospodin, oprostite!
Gospodine, oprostite!
Polite direct address requires the vocative gospodine.
Opening a letter without the vocative
Dragi prijatelj, kako si?
Dragi prijatelju, kako si?
Letter openings address the reader in the vocative: prijatelju.

A1Cases

Singular Case Endings — Overview by Gender

Pregled padežnih nastavaka u jednini

Now that you have met the cases one by one, it helps to see all the singular endings together. Croatian has seven cases, and each gender has its own set of endings. For a typical masculine noun (stol): N stol, G stola, D stolu, A stol, V stole, L stolu, I stolom. For a feminine -a noun (žena): N žena, G žene, D ženi, A ženu, V ženo, L ženi, I ženom. For a neuter -o noun (selo): N selo, G sela, D selu, A selo, V selo, L selu, I selom. Notice the repeated patterns: dative and locative are always identical, and neuter nominative = accusative. Learning these grids is the single best way to make the case system click.

Key rule

Memorise the singular grid per gender; dative always equals locative, and neuter/inanimate-masculine nominative equals accusative.

Examples

Vidim stol. Knjiga je na stolu.
Vidim stolu. Knjiga je na stol.
Inanimate masculine: accusative = nominative (stol), locative = -u (stolu).
Dajem to ženi i mislim o ženi.
Dajem to ženu i mislim o ženu.
Feminine dative and locative are identical: ženi, not the accusative ženu.
Selo je lijepo; živim u selu.
Selo je lijepo; živim u sela.
Neuter locative is -u (selu); -a would be the genitive.

Common mistakes

Confusing dative/locative with the genitive
Mislim o grada.
Mislim o gradu.
The locative of masculine nouns is -u (gradu); -a is the genitive.
Using the accusative where the dative/locative is needed
Dajem to ženu.
Dajem to ženi.
Feminine dative is -i (ženi); -u is the accusative.

A1Cases

Case Questions (tko/što in each case)

Padežna pitanja (tko/što)

Each Croatian case has its own question word, and asking the right question is the easiest way to figure out which case a slot needs. The question words for 'who/what' run through the cases like this: N tko? / što?, G koga? / čega?, D komu? / čemu?, A koga? / što?, L o kome? / o čemu?, I (s) kim? / (s) čime?. So if you can answer komu? you need the dative; if you answer čime? you need the instrumental; o kome? points to the locative. Asking these questions about a sentence tells you the case: Dajem knjigu (komu?) bratu — dative. This trick works for nouns and pronouns alike.

Key rule

Identify a case by its question word: komu? = dative, koga?/čega? = genitive, čime? = instrumental, o kome? = locative.

Examples

Komu daješ knjigu? — Bratu.
Koga daješ knjigu? — Bratu.
The recipient answers komu? (dative), not koga? (genitive/accusative).
Čime pišeš? — Olovkom.
Što pišeš? — Olovkom.
The means answers čime? (instrumental); što? would ask for the direct object.
O kome razgovarate? — O profesoru.
Koga razgovarate? — O profesoru.
Topic of speech answers o kome? (locative), not koga?.

Common mistakes

Using koga? for the recipient
Koga daješ poklon?
Komu daješ poklon?
The recipient is dative, which answers komu?, not koga?.
Using što? for an instrument
Što jedeš juhu?
Čime jedeš juhu?
The means answers čime? (instrumental); što? asks for the object.

A1Orthography

The Croatian Alphabet (gajica, 30 letters)

Hrvatska abeceda (gajica)

Croatian uses a Latin alphabet called gajica with 30 letters. The big advantage for learners is that it is almost perfectly phonetic: one letter (or digraph) stands for exactly one sound, and that sound never changes. Once you learn how each letter is pronounced, you can read any Croatian word out loud correctly, and you can spell almost any word you hear. There are no silent letters. Five of the 30 'letters' are actually marked with diacritics (č, ć, š, ž, đ) or are two-character digraphs (lj, nj, dž) that count as a single letter. Croatian also has phonemic pitch accent and vowel length, but these are never written, so you do not need to mark them.

Key rule

Croatian spelling is near-phonemic: each of the 30 gajica letters (including the digraphs dž, lj, nj) stands for one fixed sound, so you read and spell words as they are written.

Examples

Abeceda ima trideset slova.
Abeceda ima dvadeset šest slova.
The Croatian alphabet has 30 letters, not 26 as in English, because diacritic letters and digraphs are counted separately.
Slovo č zovemo 'če'.
Slovo č zovemo 'see'.
Letters are named by their Croatian sound; č is read as a single hard ch-sound, not the English letter name.
Riječ 'kuća' piše se onako kako se izgovara.
Riječ 'kuća' piše se 'kucha'.
Croatian has no digraph 'ch'; the single sound is written ć, and spelling matches pronunciation.

Common mistakes

Assuming 26 English letters
Hrvatska abeceda ima dvadeset šest slova.
Hrvatska abeceda ima trideset slova.
Croatian counts diacritic letters and the digraphs dž, lj, nj separately, giving 30 letters.
Reducing unstressed vowels
telefon izgovoren kao 'tilifn'
telefon
Croatian vowels keep their full quality in every position; there is no English-style vowel reduction.

A1Orthography

The Digraphs lj, nj, dž (one sound each)

Dvoslovi lj, nj, dž

Croatian has three digraphs — lj, nj, and dž — that are written with two characters but count as one single letter and stand for one single sound. 'lj' is a soft, palatal l (as in ljeto), 'nj' is a palatal n like the Spanish ñ (as in konj), and 'dž' is a hard j-sound like the English j in 'jam' (as in džep). Because they are one letter, you must never split them across a syllable break the wrong way, and in a dictionary they sort as single letters. The hardest part for learners is hearing that ljeto is not 'l + jeto' but one soft sound, and that nj is one nasal sound, not 'n + j'.

Key rule

lj, nj, and dž are single letters representing one sound each; never split them within a morpheme and never pronounce the two characters separately.

Examples

Volim ljeto.
Volim lijeto.
ljeto is spelled with the digraph lj plus e; inserting an i creates a wrong, non-existent form.
Konj trči poljem.
Konjj trči poljem.
nj is a single letter; the n is not written twice.
Stavio sam novac u džep.
Stavio sam novac u dzep.
The sound is the digraph dž, not a plain d followed by z.

Common mistakes

Inserting an i into lj
lijeto
ljeto
The soft l is the single digraph lj; an extra i produces a non-word or changes the meaning.
Writing the n of nj twice
konjj
konj
nj is one letter standing for one palatal nasal; the n is written only once.

A1Orthography

The Distinction č vs ć

Razlika č i ć

Croatian has two ch-like letters that learners often confuse: č and ć. 'č' is the hard one, made further back, like the ch in 'church' (čaj, čovjek). 'ć' is the soft one, lighter and more forward, closer to the t in British 'tube' or a soft 'tch' (ćup, kuća, voće). They are different sounds and different letters, and using the wrong one is a real spelling mistake that can even change a word. Some endings always have one or the other: the diminutive -ić and the abstract suffix -ća/-će usually take soft ć, while many verb and noun stems take hard č. There is no English 'ch' digraph in Croatian — you always choose č or ć.

Key rule

č is the hard ch (church), ć is the soft, fronted ch; they are separate letters and the correct one is fixed for each word — never write a plain 'c' or 'ch' instead.

Examples

Pijem čaj.
Pijem ćaj.
čaj has the hard č; the soft ć would be a spelling error here.
Ovo je moja kuća.
Ovo je moja kuča.
kuća has the soft ć; writing č changes it to a wrong form.
Volim voće.
Volim voče.
The abstract/collective noun voće is spelled with soft ć.

Common mistakes

Writing plain c instead of č/ć
veceras
večeras
c (the ts-sound) is a different letter; the ch-sounds must be written č or ć with their diacritic.
Using hard č where the soft ć belongs
kuča
kuća
kuća is fixed with soft ć; using č is a genuine spelling mistake.

A1Orthography

The Distinction dž vs đ

Razlika dž i đ

This pair mirrors č/ć but for the voiced j-sounds. 'dž' is the hard, voiced version of č — the j in English 'jam' (džep, hodža). 'đ' is the soft, voiced version of ć — a soft 'dj' sound, like the j in a softly said 'jeans' but lighter (đak, đon, rođak). Note the spelling: dž is a two-character digraph that counts as one letter, while đ is a single barred-d letter. They are different sounds and different letters. Many learners write đ as 'dj' (the old typewriter substitute), but in proper Croatian you write the single letter đ. đ is much rarer than dž, and it appears in words like đak, rođendan, mađarski, narudžba (which has dž!).

Key rule

dž is the hard voiced j (jam), written as a digraph; đ is the soft voiced 'dj', written as the single barred-d letter — they are different sounds and you must not write đ as 'dj' in standard spelling.

Examples

Stavi novac u džep.
Stavi novac u đep.
džep has the hard dž; the soft đ is the wrong letter here.
On je dobar đak.
On je dobar džak.
đak (pupil) takes the soft đ; with dž it becomes a different, wrong word.
Sutra je moj rođendan.
Sutra je moj rodjendan.
The correct spelling uses the single letter đ, not the 'dj' substitute.

Common mistakes

Writing đ as the 'dj' fallback
rodjendan
rođendan
In standard Croatian the soft voiced sound is the single letter đ; 'dj' is only an emergency substitute.
Confusing dž (jam) with đ
đem
džem
Jam is the hard voiced affricate dž, not the soft đ.

A1Orthography

The Jat Reflex ije/je — Introduction (ijekavian)

Refleks jata — ije/je (uvod)

Standard Croatian is ijekavian. This means an old vowel called 'jat' shows up as either 'ije' or 'je' in words where some other languages (or Serbian's ekavian) use a plain 'e'. So Croatian says dijete (child), mlijeko (milk), vrijeme (time), lijep (beautiful), and djeca, mjesto, vjera. As a rule of thumb, a long jat becomes 'ije' (two-syllable: di-je-te), and a short jat becomes 'je' (one syllable: mje-sto). For now, just recognise and learn these words with their ije/je spelling as fixed — you do not need to predict the alternation yet, only to avoid writing a bare 'e' where Croatian needs ije or je.

Key rule

Standard Croatian is ijekavian: jat surfaces as ije in long syllables (dijete, mlijeko) and je in short syllables (djeca, mjesto) — never as a bare 'e' (ekavian).

Examples

Dijete pije mlijeko.
Dete pije mleko.
Standard Croatian is ijekavian: dijete and mlijeko, not the ekavian dete/mleko.
Vrijeme je lijepo.
Vreme je lepo.
vrijeme and lijep have long-jat ije; the ekavian vreme/lep is not standard Croatian.
Djeca se igraju u parku.
Deca se igraju u parku.
djeca has short-jat je; the ekavian deca is wrong in Croatian.

Common mistakes

Using the ekavian bare e
mleko
mlijeko
Standard Croatian is ijekavian; the long jat surfaces as ije, giving mlijeko.
Writing je where the word needs ije
djete
dijete
dijete has a long syllable, so the reflex is ije, not je.

A1Orthography

Sound Alternations — Preview (sibilarization & palatalization)

Glasovne promjene — najava

When you add endings to Croatian words, the last consonant of the stem sometimes changes. This is normal and very common. Two big patterns to start noticing: (1) sibilarization — k, g, h become c, z, s before the ending -i (junak → junaci, knjiga → knjizi, siromah → siromasi); and (2) palatalization — k, g, h become č, ž, š before certain endings or in derivation (junak → junače in the vocative, ruka → ručica). For now you only need to recognise that the stem-final k/g/h is not a mistake when it shows up as c/z/s or č/ž/š in another form of the same word; you will learn exactly when later. This is why the dictionary form and the inflected form can look different.

Key rule

Stem-final k, g, h regularly change — to c, z, s before -i (sibilarization: junak→junaci) and to č, ž, š in other endings/derivation (palatalization: junak→junače) — so an alternating stem is correct, not a mistake.

Examples

Ovo su naši junaci.
Ovo su naši junaki.
In the nominative plural with -i, k changes to c (sibilarization): junaci, not junaki.
Knjiga je na stolu; pišem o knjizi.
Knjiga je na stolu; pišem o knjigi.
In the locative with -i, g changes to z: knjizi, not knjigi.
Vojnici se vraćaju kući.
Vojniki se vraćaju kući.
vojnik → vojnici: k becomes c before the plural -i.

Common mistakes

Keeping k before the plural -i
junaki
junaci
Sibilarization changes k to c before -i in the masculine nominative plural.
Keeping g in the locative
o knjigi
o knjizi
Sibilarization changes g to z before the locative ending -i.

A1Orthography

Capitalization (lower-case days, months, nationalities)

Veliko i malo početno slovo

Croatian capitalizes the first word of a sentence and proper names (people, cities, countries: Ana, Zagreb, Hrvatska). But — unlike English — many words that English capitalizes are written in lower case in Croatian: days of the week (ponedjeljak, subota), months (siječanj, ožujak), names of languages (hrvatski, engleski), and adjectives of nationality/origin (hrvatski grad). The noun for a person of a nationality IS capitalized (Hrvat, Engleskinja, Talijan), but the matching adjective and the language are lower case (hrvatski jezik). The polite pronoun Vi (formal 'you') is capitalized in letters as a sign of respect. Getting these right is a very visible marker of correct Croatian.

Key rule

Capitalize the sentence start, proper names, and nationality nouns (Hrvat), but write days, months, languages, and nationality adjectives in lower case (ponedjeljak, siječanj, hrvatski jezik).

Examples

U ponedjeljak imam ispit.
U Ponedjeljak imam ispit.
Days of the week are lower case in Croatian, unlike English.
Rođen sam u svibnju.
Rođen sam u Svibnju.
Month names are written in lower case.
Ona je Hrvatica i govori hrvatski.
Ona je hrvatica i govori Hrvatski.
The nationality noun Hrvatica is capitalized, but the language hrvatski is lower case.

Common mistakes

Capitalizing days of the week
U Subotu idemo na more.
U subotu idemo na more.
Croatian writes days of the week in lower case.
Capitalizing month names
Praznici su u Srpnju.
Praznici su u srpnju.
Month names are lower case in Croatian.

A1Orthography

Spelling Basics & Simple Compounds

Pravopis i jednostavne složenice

This tag pulls together basic spelling habits. First, some words are written as one solid word (compounds), like zrakoplov (airplane = zrak + plov) and nogomet (football), usually joined with a connecting vowel -o-/-e-. Other things stay as separate words: the negation ne is written apart from verbs (ne znam), but it fuses in nemam, neću, nisam. Second, watch the ije/je reflex inside compounds and longer words — the spelling stays ijekavian (npr. dvanaesterac keeps its forms). Third, Croatian punctuation is logical, not grammatical, so a jer- or da-clause that completes the sentence takes no comma (Znam da dolaziš), and loanwords are respelled as you hear them (taksi, kompjuter). The main skill is knowing when to write together and when apart, and keeping the correct č/ć, dž/đ, and ije/je inside longer words.

Key rule

Write true compounds solid (zrakoplov, nogomet) and the negative ne apart from ordinary verbs (ne znam) but fused in nemam/neću/nisam, all while keeping the correct č/ć, dž/đ and ije/je inside the word.

Examples

Putujem zrakoplovom.
Putujem zrak-o-plovom.
zrakoplov is a solid compound with the linking vowel -o-, not hyphenated.
Ne znam odgovor.
Neznam odgovor.
With ordinary verbs, ne is written as a separate word: ne znam.
Nemam vremena.
Ne mam vremena.
With imati, the negative fuses into one word: nemam, not ne mam.

Common mistakes

Writing ne together with an ordinary verb
neznam
ne znam
ne is separate from regular verbs; only nemam, neću, nisam are fused.
Splitting the fused negative nemam
ne mam vremena
nemam vremena
The negative of imati is written as one word: nemam.

A1Prepositions

u / na — Accusative (motion) vs Locative (location)

u / na — akuzativ ili lokativ

The prepositions u (in/into) and na (on/onto/at) are the most important prepositions in Croatian, and each one takes two different cases depending on meaning. If there is motion towards a goal — you are going somewhere — the noun goes into the accusative (Idem u školu = I go to school). If there is no motion, only a static location — you are somewhere — the noun goes into the locative (U školi sam = I am at school). The same preposition, two cases, two meanings. Ask yourself 'where to?' (accusative) versus 'where?' (locative). This is the single most useful pattern to master early.

Key rule

u and na take the accusative for motion towards a goal ('where to?') and the locative for static location ('where?').

Examples

Idem u školu.
Idem u školi.
Motion towards a goal requires the accusative (školu), not the locative.
U školi sam.
U školu sam.
A static location requires the locative (školi), not the accusative.
Stavljam knjigu na stol.
Stavljam knjigu na stolu.
Putting something onto a surface is motion, so na takes the accusative stol.

Common mistakes

Using the locative for motion towards a goal
Idem u kući.
Idem u kuću.
The verb ići expresses motion, so u must take the accusative kuću, not the locative kući.
Using the accusative for a static location
Radim u ured.
Radim u uredu.
raditi is stative, so u takes the locative uredu, not the accusative ured.

A1Prepositions

s / sa + Instrumental (with)

s / sa + instrumental

To say you do something together with someone or something, Croatian uses the preposition s and puts the following noun into the instrumental case. So 'with a friend' is s prijateljem and 'with my sister' is sa sestrom. The preposition has two written forms: usually it is just s, but it becomes sa before words beginning with s, š, z, ž (and before awkward consonant clusters), which makes it easier to pronounce: sa sestrom, sa šeširom, sa mnom. This s + instrumental means accompaniment ('together with'); do not use it when 'with' means the tool you use — that is a different, prepositionless instrumental.

Key rule

Use s (or sa before s, š, z, ž and before mnom) + instrumental for accompaniment, but use a bare instrumental with no preposition for the means/tool.

Examples

Idem s prijateljem.
Idem s prijatelj.
s requires the instrumental form prijateljem, not the nominative prijatelj.
Pijem kavu sa sestrom.
Pijem kavu s sestrom.
Before a word starting with s, the preposition becomes sa for easier pronunciation.
Razgovaram s majkom.
Razgovaram s majka.
After s the noun must be in the instrumental majkom, not the nominative majka.

Common mistakes

Leaving the noun in the nominative after s
Idem s brat.
Idem s bratom.
s governs the instrumental, so brat must become bratom.
Using s for the means/instrument
Jedem s vilicom.
Jedem vilicom.
A tool takes a bare instrumental; s would mean 'in the company of a fork'.

A1Prepositions

od / do / iz + Genitive (from / to / out of)

od / do / iz + genitiv

Three very common prepositions of origin and limit all take the genitive case: od (from, away from a point or person), do (up to, as far as, until), and iz (out of, from inside something). So 'from home' is od kuće, 'to the city / as far as the city' is do grada, and 'from Croatia / out of Croatia' is iz Hrvatske. The key contrast is od versus iz: use iz when you come out of an enclosed space or place you were inside (iz škole, iz Zagreba), and od when you move away from a point, surface, or person (od stola, od liječnika). After all three, the noun must be in the genitive.

Key rule

od (away from a point/person), do (as far as/until) and iz (out of an enclosed place) all govern the genitive; use iz for coming out of a space and od for moving away from a point or person.

Examples

Dolazim iz škole.
Dolazim iz škola.
iz takes the genitive singular škole, not the nominative škola.
Idem od kuće do grada.
Idem od kuća do grad.
Both od and do govern the genitive: kuće and grada.
On je iz Hrvatske.
On je iz Hrvatska.
Origin 'from Croatia' uses iz + genitive Hrvatske.

Common mistakes

Leaving the noun in the nominative
Dolazim iz škola.
Dolazim iz škole.
iz governs the genitive, so the feminine form is škole.
Confusing iz and od
Izlazim od kuće.
Izlazim iz kuće.
Leaving an enclosed space uses iz, not od.

A1Prepositions

k / prema + Dative (towards)

k / prema + dativ

To express movement towards a person or a place, Croatian uses k (towards, to) and prema (towards, in the direction of), both with the dative case. k is used mainly with people and is often replaced by ka before words beginning with k or g (easier to say): idem k liječniku, idem ka gradu. prema means 'in the direction of' and works with both places and people: idem prema centru, prema moru. Remember that for going to a place you usually use u/na + accusative, while k and prema stress direction towards rather than entering — and you go k a person (k liječniku) where you cannot use u.

Key rule

k (often ka before k/g) and prema both govern the dative and express motion towards; k is preferred with people, prema with directions and places.

Examples

Idem k liječniku.
Idem k liječnik.
k requires the dative liječniku, not the nominative liječnik.
Idem ka gradu.
Idem k gradu.
Before g the preposition becomes ka for easier pronunciation.
Hodam prema centru.
Hodam prema centar.
prema governs the dative centru, not the nominative centar.

Common mistakes

Leaving the noun in the nominative after k/prema
Idem prema grad.
Idem prema gradu.
prema governs the dative, so grad becomes gradu.
Using u + accusative for motion towards a person
Idem u liječnika.
Idem k liječniku.
You head towards a person with k + dative, not u + accusative.

A1Prepositions

o + Locative (about)

o + lokativ

When you talk, think, write, dream or read about a topic, Croatian uses the preposition o followed by the locative case. So 'about the film' is o filmu and 'about you' is o tebi. This o is extremely common with verbs of speaking and thinking: razgovaramo o filmu (we talk about the film), mislim o tebi (I think about you), pišem o ljetu (I write about summer). Like all locatives, the noun after o must be in the locative case, and the locative is only ever used with a preposition, so o is one of the small set of prepositions that introduce it.

Key rule

Use o + locative to express the topic of speaking, thinking, writing or reading ('about'); the locative noun never appears without such a preposition.

Examples

Razgovaramo o filmu.
Razgovaramo o film.
o requires the locative filmu, not the nominative film.
Mislim o tebi.
Mislim o ti.
The locative pronoun is tebi, not the nominative ti.
Pišem o ljetu.
Pišem o ljeto.
o takes the locative ljetu of the neuter ljeto.

Common mistakes

Leaving the noun in the nominative after o
Govorimo o film.
Govorimo o filmu.
o governs the locative, so film becomes filmu.
Using the nominative pronoun instead of the locative
Mislim o ti.
Mislim o tebi.
Pronouns have special locative forms; 'about you' is o tebi.

A1Prepositions

za + Accusative (for)

za + akuzativ

The preposition za usually means 'for' and most often takes the accusative case. Use it for the recipient or beneficiary of something (dar za majku = a gift for mum), for purpose (novac za hranu = money for food), and for a stretch of time in the future (za sat vremena = in an hour, after an hour). So 'a present for you' is dar za tebe and 'I'll come in five minutes' is dolazim za pet minuta. After za in these meanings the noun goes into the accusative; remember that for masculine animate nouns the accusative looks like the genitive (za brata).

Key rule

za + accusative expresses benefit, purpose, and short future time spans ('for' / 'in an hour'); masculine animates copy the genitive in the accusative (za brata).

Examples

Ovo je dar za majku.
Ovo je dar za majka.
za takes the accusative majku, not the nominative majka.
Dolazim za sat vremena.
Dolazim za sat vrijeme.
The set time phrase is za sat vremena, with the genitive vremena after sat.
Imam dar za tebe.
Imam dar za ti.
After za the pronoun takes the accusative/stressed form tebe, not the nominative ti.

Common mistakes

Leaving the noun in the nominative after za
Dar za majka.
Dar za majku.
za governs the accusative, so majka becomes majku.
Not copying the genitive for masculine animates
Poklon za brat.
Poklon za brata.
Masculine animate accusative equals the genitive, so it is brata.

A1Prepositions

u / na in Time Expressions (u ponedjeljak, na ljeto)

u / na u izrazima vremena

Croatian uses u and na in many everyday time expressions, and the choice of preposition and case is partly fixed by the phrase. For days of the week and clock hours, use u + accusative: u ponedjeljak (on Monday), u tri sata (at three o'clock). For seasons, use na + accusative: na proljeće, na ljeto (in spring, in summer) when you mean 'come spring/summer'. There is also u + locative for years and parts of the day in some phrases. The safest A1 strategy is to learn these as set patterns: u + day, u + hour, na + season. Notice that here u takes the accusative, unlike location u + locative.

Key rule

Use u + accusative for days of the week and clock hours (u ponedjeljak, u tri sata) and na + accusative for seasons and certain occasions (na ljeto, na rođendan).

Examples

Vidimo se u ponedjeljak.
Vidimo se na ponedjeljak.
Days of the week take u + accusative, not na.
Dolazim u tri sata.
Dolazim u tri sati.
After tri the counted form is sata, not sati (which follows 5+).
Putujemo na ljeto.
Putujemo u ljeto.
Seasons in this 'come summer' sense take na + accusative.

Common mistakes

Using na with days of the week
Na ponedjeljak idem.
U ponedjeljak idem.
Days of the week take u + accusative, not na.
Using the locative for a day instead of the accusative
U petku se vidimo.
U petak se vidimo.
Time-u with a day takes the accusative petak, not the locative petku.

A1Pronouns

Personal Pronouns — Nominative (ja, ti, on…)

Osobne zamjenice — nominativ

The subject personal pronouns in Croatian are ja (I), ti (you, singular informal), on/ona/ono (he/she/it), mi (we), vi (you, plural or formal), and oni/one/ona (they, masculine/feminine/neuter). Because the verb ending already tells you who is acting, Croatian usually leaves the subject pronoun out: you say Radim, not Ja radim, for I work. You add the pronoun mainly for emphasis or contrast, for example Ja radim, a ti spavaš (I am working, while you are sleeping). Notice that the third-person forms and they have separate masculine, feminine, and neuter shapes, unlike English.

Key rule

Croatian normally drops the subject pronoun because the verb ending shows the person; add it only for emphasis or contrast.

Examples

Radim u školi.
Ja radim ja u školi.
The ending of radim already means I, so the pronoun is dropped; doubling it is wrong.
Ti si moj prijatelj.
Ti je moj prijatelj.
The pronoun ti needs the 2nd-person form si, not the 3rd-person je.
Ona čita knjigu.
On čita knjigu kad mislim na Anu.
Ana is feminine, so the pronoun must be ona, not the masculine on.

Common mistakes

Always using the subject pronoun like in English
Ja idem u grad svaki dan.
Idem u grad svaki dan.
Croatian is pro-drop; the constant pronoun sounds over-emphatic when there is no contrast.
Using on for a feminine person
Marija je ovdje; on je sretan.
Marija je ovdje; ona je sretna.
The pronoun must match the noun's gender, so a woman is referred to with ona.

A1Pronouns

Personal Pronouns — Clitic vs Full (me/mene, mi/meni)

Osobne zamjenice — naglašeni i nenaglašeni oblik

Most Croatian object pronouns have two forms: a short unstressed (clitic) form and a long stressed (full) form. For me the accusative is me (short) or mene (long), and the dative is mi (short) or meni (long). The short forms are the everyday default and must stand in second position in the sentence: Vidi me (He/She sees me), Daje mi knjigu (He/She gives me a book). The long forms are used when you want emphasis, when the pronoun stands alone in an answer, or after a preposition: Mene vidi, ne tebe (It's ME he sees, not you); Daj to meni.

Key rule

Use the short clitic object pronoun by default in second position; use the long stressed form for emphasis, alone, or after a preposition.

Examples

Vidi me svaki dan.
Vidi mene svaki dan.
With no emphasis, the neutral choice is the short clitic me, not the stressed mene.
Daje mi knjigu.
Daje meni knjigu.
Without contrast, the dative clitic mi is correct; meni would over-stress the recipient.
To je za mene.
To je za me.
After a preposition you must use the full form mene; a clitic cannot follow a preposition.

Common mistakes

Using a clitic after a preposition
Ovo je za te.
Ovo je za tebe.
Prepositions always take the stressed full form, here tebe, not the clitic te.
Starting a sentence with a clitic
Me boli glava.
Boli me glava.
Clitics cannot begin a clause; the clitic me leans on the first stressed word boli.

A1Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns (moj, tvoj, naš…)

Posvojne zamjenice (moj, tvoj, naš)

Possessive pronouns show who owns something: moj (my), tvoj (your, informal), naš (our), vaš (your, plural/formal). They behave like adjectives and agree with the thing owned, not the owner. So you say moj brat (my brother, masculine), moja sestra (my sister, feminine), and moje dijete (my child, neuter), changing the ending to match the gender, number, and case of the possessed noun. The ending also changes through the cases: moja knjiga (my book, nominative) becomes moje knjige (of my book, genitive), and so on.

Key rule

Possessive pronouns agree in gender, number, and case with the thing owned, not with the owner.

Examples

Ovo je moja knjiga.
Ovo je moj knjiga.
Knjiga is feminine, so the possessive must be moja, not the masculine moj.
Vidim tvojega brata.
Vidim tvoj brata.
Brat is an animate masculine accusative, so both noun and possessive take the genitive-like form tvojega brata.
To je naše dijete.
To je naša dijete.
Dijete is neuter, so the possessive is naše, not the feminine naša.

Common mistakes

Agreeing the possessive with the owner instead of the thing owned
Marko i moj sestra.
Marko i moja sestra.
The possessive agrees with sestra (feminine), so it is moja regardless of who the owner is.
Not changing the possessive in oblique cases
Pišem moj bratu.
Pišem mojemu bratu.
The dative bratu pulls the possessive into the dative mojemu/mom too.

A1Pronouns

The Reflexive Possessive svoj

Povratno-posvojna zamjenica svoj

Svoj means one's own and points back to the subject of the sentence. When the owner of something is the same person as the subject, Croatian prefers svoj instead of moj, tvoj, njegov, and so on. Compare Uzimam svoju knjigu (I take my own book) with Uzimam njegovu knjigu (I take his book). In the first sentence the book belongs to the subject, so svoj is used; in the second it belongs to someone else. Svoj declines exactly like moj and agrees with the thing owned. It is one of the most useful and most distinctive features of Slavic grammar.

Key rule

Use svoj when the owner is the same as the subject of the sentence; use moj/tvoj/njegov when the owner is someone else.

Examples

Uzimam svoju knjigu.
Uzimam moju knjigu.
The book belongs to the subject (I), so Croatian prefers the reflexive svoju.
On voli svoju sestru.
On voli njegovu sestru.
The sister is his own, so svoju is required; njegovu would mean another man's sister.
Ana čita svoju knjigu.
Ana čita njezinu knjigu.
If the book is Ana's own, use svoju; njezinu points to a different woman.

Common mistakes

Using njegov/njezin when the owner is the subject
On uzima njegovu jaknu. (his own jacket)
On uzima svoju jaknu.
When the owner equals the subject, Croatian requires the reflexive svoju.
Using moj/tvoj instead of svoj for the subject's own thing
Volim moj posao.
Volim svoj posao.
Since the job belongs to the subject (I), svoj is the natural, preferred form.

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A1Pronouns

Demonstratives ovaj / taj / onaj (three-way)

Pokazne zamjenice ovaj, taj, onaj

Croatian has a three-way demonstrative system. Ovaj means this one (near me, the speaker), taj means that one (near you, the listener), and onaj means that one over there (far from both of us). Each has feminine and neuter forms: ovaj/ova/ovo, taj/ta/to, onaj/ona/ono. They agree with the noun like adjectives in gender, number, and case: ovaj stol (this table), ova knjiga (this book), ovo dijete (this child). The very common neuter to is used for that/it in general statements, such as To je dobro (That is good).

Key rule

Use ovaj for what is near the speaker, taj for what is near the listener, and onaj for what is far from both, and make each agree with its noun.

Examples

Ovaj stol je nov.
Ova stol je nov.
Stol is masculine, so the demonstrative is ovaj, not the feminine ova.
Daj mi tu knjigu.
Daj mi taj knjigu.
Knjiga is feminine accusative, so the form is tu, not the masculine taj.
Onaj čovjek tamo je liječnik.
Onaj čovjek tamo je ovdje.
Onaj signals distance (over there), so it pairs with tamo, not with ovdje.

Common mistakes

Not matching the demonstrative to the noun's gender
Ova stol je velik.
Ovaj stol je velik.
Stol is masculine, so the demonstrative is ovaj.
Using a masculine demonstrative for a general statement
Taj je dobro.
To je dobro.
A general this/that in a copular sentence uses the neuter to.

A1Pronouns

Interrogatives tko (who) vs što (what)

Upitne zamjenice tko i što

Tko asks about people (who) and što asks about things (what). Both change their form depending on the case the question needs. Tko: tko (nominative), koga (genitive/accusative), komu/kome (dative), o kome (locative), kim/kime (instrumental). Što: što (nominative/accusative), čega (genitive), čemu (dative), o čemu (locative), čim/čime (instrumental). So you ask Tko je to? (Who is that?), Koga vidiš? (Whom do you see?), Što radiš? (What are you doing?), and O čemu razmišljaš? (What are you thinking about?). The question word always comes first in the sentence.

Key rule

Use tko for people and što for things, and decline both into the case the verb or preposition requires.

Examples

Tko je to?
Što je to? (asking about a person)
When asking about a person you use tko, not što.
Koga vidiš?
Tko vidiš?
The direct object asks with the accusative koga, not the nominative tko.
Što radiš?
Tko radiš?
An action/thing is asked with što; tko would ask about a person.

Common mistakes

Using tko for a thing
Tko je na stolu?
Što je na stolu?
An object/thing is asked with što, not the person-word tko.
Not putting tko/što into the accusative for an object
Tko čekaš?
Koga čekaš?
The direct object of a person uses the accusative koga.

A1Pronouns

Question Words (gdje, kamo, kada, zašto, kako)

Upitni prilozi (gdje, kamo, kada, zašto, kako)

These question words ask about circumstances and do not change their form. Gdje asks about location (where), kamo asks about direction (where to), kada (or kad) asks about time (when), zašto asks about reason (why), and kako asks about manner (how). The key thing for English speakers is that Croatian separates gdje (where something is) from kamo (where something is going): Gdje si? (Where are you?) but Kamo ideš? (Where are you going?). The question word comes first, and the answer usually matches it: a gdje-question wants a location, a kamo-question wants a destination.

Key rule

Use gdje for where something is and kamo for where something is going, and front the invariable question word.

Examples

Gdje si?
Kamo si?
Asking about a static location uses gdje; kamo asks where to.
Kamo ideš?
Gdje ideš?
A movement to a destination is asked with kamo in standard Croatian, not gdje.
Kada dolaziš?
Gdje dolaziš?
Time is asked with kada, not the place word gdje.

Common mistakes

Using gdje for direction
Gdje ideš večeras?
Kamo ideš večeras?
Movement toward a destination uses kamo in standard Croatian.
Using kamo for a static location
Kamo živiš?
Gdje živiš?
Living somewhere is a location, so gdje is required.

A1Pronouns

Reflexive Pronoun se / sebe — Introduction

Povratna zamjenica se / sebe (uvod)

The reflexive pronoun refers back to the subject and is the same for every person — I, you, he, we all use it. It has a short clitic form se (and dative si) and a long stressed form sebe (dative sebi). The clitic se is the everyday form and sits in second position: Perem se (I wash myself), Pereš se (You wash yourself). The stressed sebe is used for emphasis, after prepositions, or when the pronoun stands alone: Mislim na sebe (I think about myself), Vidim sebe u ogledalu (I see myself in the mirror). Unlike English, there is only one reflexive word for all persons.

Key rule

Use the clitic se/si by default in second position; use the stressed sebe/sebi for emphasis, alone, or after a preposition.

Examples

Perem se svako jutro.
Perem sebe svako jutro.
With no emphasis, the neutral choice is the clitic se, not the stressed sebe.
Zovem se Ana.
Zovem sebe Ana.
Zvati se is an inherently reflexive verb, so it takes the clitic se, not sebe.
Mislim na sebe.
Mislim na se.
After the preposition na the stressed form sebe is required; a clitic cannot follow a preposition.

Common mistakes

Using a clitic after a preposition
Mislim na se.
Mislim na sebe.
Prepositions take the full form sebe; a clitic se can never follow a preposition.
Using sebe where neutral se is natural
Perem sebe svako jutro.
Perem se svako jutro.
Without emphasis the unstressed clitic se is the natural choice.

A1Pronouns

Third-Person Possessives (njegov, njezin, njihov)

Posvojne zamjenice njegov, njezin, njihov

The third-person possessives are njegov (his), njezin or njen (her), and njihov (their). They tell you the owner is a third person who is not the subject of the sentence. Like all possessives, they behave like adjectives and agree with the thing owned, not the owner: njegova knjiga (his book, feminine ending because knjiga is feminine), njezin auto (her car, masculine ending). An important point: njegov never changes for the owner's gender — his sister and his brother are both njegov, with the ending matching only the possessed noun. When the owner is also the subject, you switch to the reflexive svoj instead.

Key rule

njegov (his), njezin (her), and njihov (their) refer to an owner who is not the subject and agree with the thing owned, not the owner.

Examples

Ovo je njegova knjiga.
Ovo je njegov knjiga.
Knjiga is feminine, so the ending is njegova, even though the owner is male.
Njezin auto je nov.
Njezina auto je nov.
Auto is masculine, so the possessive is njezin, regardless of the female owner.
Njihova kuća je velika.
Njihov kuća je velika.
Kuća is feminine, so the form is njihova, not the masculine njihov.

Common mistakes

Agreeing the possessive with the owner instead of the thing owned
Njegova brat je tu.
Njegov brat je tu.
The ending agrees with brat (masculine), so it is njegov, not njegova.
Using njegov/njezin when the owner is the subject
Ona čita njezinu knjigu. (her own)
Ona čita svoju knjigu.
When the owner equals the subject, Croatian requires the reflexive svoju.

A1Register

ti vs Vi (informal vs formal address)

Persiranje — ti i Vi

Croatian has two ways to say "you" when speaking to one person. Use "ti" with family, friends, children and people your own age in relaxed situations. Use "Vi" with strangers, older people, your boss, officials and anyone you want to show respect to. The big point for English speakers: "Vi" takes the SAME verb form as the plural "you" (the 2nd person plural), even when you address only one person. So you say "Kako se zovete?" to one respected person, exactly as you would to a group. In letters and emails "Vi" is written with a capital V as a sign of politeness. Choosing the wrong form sounds either too cold or too familiar.

Key rule

Use "ti" for people you are close to and "Vi" for respect or distance — and "Vi" always takes 2nd-person-plural verb forms even for one person.

Examples

Kako se zoveš?
Kako se zovete?
Asking a child or a friend their name: use the familiar 2sg "zoveš" with ti.
Gospodine, kako se zovete?
Gospodine, kako se zoveš?
Addressing a stranger politely requires the Vi-form verb "zovete", not the familiar "zoveš".
Vi ste vrlo ljubazni.
Vi si vrlo ljubazni.
Vi takes the plural auxiliary "ste", never the singular "si".

Common mistakes

Using singular verb with Vi
Vi si umoran.
Vi ste umorni.
Vi requires 2nd person plural agreement throughout: the auxiliary "ste" and the plural adjective "umorni".
Defaulting to ti with a stranger
Oprosti, gdje je kolodvor?
Oprostite, gdje je kolodvor?
With an unknown adult, the polite Vi-form imperative "oprostite" is expected; "oprosti" is too familiar.

A1Register

Greetings (Dobar dan, Bok, Doviđenja)

Pozdravi

Croatian greetings come in two registers: informal and formal. "Bok" is the all-purpose casual hello AND goodbye, used with friends. For polite, neutral situations you greet by time of day: "Dobro jutro" (good morning), "Dobar dan" (good day/afternoon) and "Dobra večer" (good evening). To say goodbye politely you use "Doviđenja" (until we meet again); at night you say "Laku noć" (good night). "Bok" is fine with people you address as ti, but with strangers, older people or in a shop you should use the time-of-day greeting. Notice that the time-of-day greetings have fixed forms you should memorise — for example "dobar" with "dan" but "dobra" with "večer".

Key rule

Use "Bok" with people you address as ti, and the time-of-day greetings (Dobro jutro / Dobar dan / Dobra večer) plus "Doviđenja" in formal or neutral situations.

Examples

Dobar dan, izvolite?
Dobra dan, izvolite?
"Dan" is masculine, so the greeting is "dobar dan", not "dobra dan".
Dobro jutro, kako ste spavali?
Dobar jutro, kako ste spavali?
"Jutro" is neuter, so it takes "dobro", not the masculine "dobar".
Dobra večer, dobrodošli!
Dobar večer, dobrodošli!
"Večer" is feminine, so the greeting is "dobra večer".

Common mistakes

Wrong gender agreement in the greeting
Dobra dan!
Dobar dan!
"Dan" is masculine, so the adjective is "dobar"; only "večer" (feminine) takes "dobra".
Using dobar with jutro
Dobar jutro!
Dobro jutro!
"Jutro" is neuter, so the greeting is "dobro jutro".

A1Register

Politeness Words (molim, hvala, oprostite, izvolite)

Izrazi uljudnosti

A handful of courtesy words make Croatian sound polite. "Molim" means "please" and also "you're welcome" (a reply to thanks). "Hvala" means "thank you"; you can strengthen it with "hvala lijepa" (thanks very much). "Oprostite" means "excuse me / sorry" in the polite Vi-form (the ti-form is "oprosti"). "Izvolite" is what you say when handing something over ("here you are") or inviting someone to do something ("go ahead"), again with a ti-form "izvoli". "Molim?" with a question intonation also means "Pardon? / Come again?" when you didn't hear. These words have informal and formal versions, so match them to whether you are using ti or Vi.

Key rule

Match the politeness word to the register: ti-forms (molim te, oprosti, izvoli) for friends, Vi-forms (molim Vas, oprostite, izvolite) for strangers and elders.

Examples

Oprostite, možete li mi pomoći?
Oprosti, možete li mi pomoći?
The polite request "možete" must pair with the polite "oprostite", not the familiar "oprosti".
Hvala na pomoći!
Hvala za pomoć!
Croatian thanks for something with "na" + locative (hvala na pomoći), not "za" + accusative.
Molim Vas, dođite ovamo.
Molim te, dođite ovamo.
With the polite imperative "dođite" you use "Molim Vas", not the familiar "Molim te".

Common mistakes

Mixing ti and Vi politeness forms
Oprostite, možeš li mi reći koliko je sati?
Oprostite, možete li mi reći koliko je sati?
After the polite "oprostite" you must continue with the Vi-form "možete", not the familiar "možeš".
Using za instead of na to thank for something
Hvala za poziv.
Hvala na pozivu.
Croatian uses "na" + locative after hvala: hvala na pozivu, hvala na pomoći.

A1Numbers dates time

Cardinal Numbers 1–100

Glavni brojevi 1–100

Croatian counts: jedan (1), dva (2), tri (3), četiri (4), pet (5)… up to deset (10). The teens are built on these with -naest: jedanaest (11), dvanaest (12), trinaest (13)… The tens are dvadeset (20), trideset (30), četrdeset (40)… and sto is 100. Compound numbers are simply joined: dvadeset jedan (21), trideset pet (35). One special thing for English speakers: "jedan" changes for gender like an adjective (jedan stol, jedna knjiga, jedno dijete), and "dva" has a feminine form "dvije". From 5 upward the number itself does not change for gender. Counting nouns brings extra rules you will meet later; here just learn the number words themselves.

Key rule

Learn jedan–deset, the -naest teens and the tens to sto, joining compounds as separate words; remember jedan agrees in gender and dva has feminine dvije.

Examples

Imam jednu sestru.
Imam jedan sestru.
"Jedan" agrees with the feminine noun "sestra" in the accusative: jednu, not jedan.
Na stolu su dvije knjige.
Na stolu su dva knjige.
"Knjiga" is feminine, so the number two is "dvije", not the masculine "dva".
Ima jedanaest učenika u razredu.
Ima jedaneast učenika u razredu.
The teen is "jedanaest"; "jedaneast" is a misspelling of the -naest ending.

Common mistakes

Not making jedan agree in gender
Imam jedan kuću.
Imam jednu kuću.
"Jedan" behaves like an adjective and must agree with the feminine accusative noun: jednu.
Using dva with a feminine noun
Imam dva sestre.
Imam dvije sestre.
Two before a feminine noun is "dvije"; "dva" is masculine/neuter.

A1Numbers dates time

Days & Months (lower-case)

Dani u tjednu i mjeseci

The seven days are: ponedjeljak, utorak, srijeda, četvrtak, petak, subota, nedjelja. The twelve months are siječanj, veljača, ožujak, travanj, svibanj, lipanj, srpanj, kolovoz, rujan, listopad, studeni, prosinac — note these are Croatian-specific names, NOT the international January/February ones. Two key rules for English speakers: days and months are always written in LOWER CASE (ponedjeljak, not Ponedjeljak), and to say "on Monday" you use "u" + the accusative: u ponedjeljak, u srijedu. Many days are masculine and look the same in the accusative, but feminine "srijeda" and "subota" change to "srijedu" and "subotu". Months are used in the genitive when giving dates, which you will practise more later.

Key rule

Days and months are written in lower case; "on a day" is "u" + accusative (u ponedjeljak, u subotu) and the months have native Croatian names, not Latin ones.

Examples

Vidimo se u ponedjeljak.
Vidimo se u Ponedjeljak.
Days are lower-case in Croatian: ponedjeljak, not Ponedjeljak.
Rođen sam u svibnju.
Rođen sam u Svibnju.
Months are also lower-case: svibnju, not Svibnju.
Imam ispit u srijedu.
Imam ispit u srijeda.
"On Wednesday" uses the accusative; feminine srijeda becomes srijedu.

Common mistakes

Capitalising days and months
Vidimo se u Petak.
Vidimo se u petak.
Croatian writes days and months in lower case.
Using the nominative after u for "on a day"
Dolazim u srijeda.
Dolazim u srijedu.
"On + day" requires the accusative; feminine srijeda → srijedu.

A1Numbers dates time

Telling Time — Basic (Koliko je sati?)

Koliko je sati? — osnovno

To ask the time you say "Koliko je sati?" (literally "how many hours is it?"). To answer with a full hour you give the number plus the right form of "sat" (hour). One o'clock is "Jedan je sat" or "Jedan sat". Two, three and four take the counted form "sata": "Dva su sata", "Tri su sata", "Četiri su sata". From five upward you use the genitive plural "sati": "Pet je sati", "Deset je sati". So the noun after the number follows the same 2–4 vs 5+ pattern as other counted nouns. To ask "at what time?" you say "U koliko sati?" and answer with "u" + the hour: "u tri", "u sedam". Memorise the sat / sata / sati split — it is the trickiest part at this level.

Key rule

Ask "Koliko je sati?" and answer with the number plus sat (1), sata (2–4) or sati (5+), and "U koliko sati?" → "u" + the hour.

Examples

Koliko je sati?
Koliko su sati?
The fixed question uses the singular clitic "je": Koliko je sati?
Tri su sata.
Tri je sati.
After 2–4 you use the counted form "sata" with the plural "su": Tri su sata.
Pet je sati.
Pet su sata.
From 5 up the noun is genitive plural "sati" with singular "je": Pet je sati.

Common mistakes

Plural auxiliary in the time question
Koliko su sati?
Koliko je sati?
The set question is fixed with the singular "je": Koliko je sati?
Wrong noun form after 2–4
Tri je sati.
Tri su sata.
2, 3, 4 take the counted form "sata" and the plural auxiliary "su".

A1Syntax

Basic Word Order (SVO) + Clitic-Second Intro

Osnovni red riječi (SVO) + naslonjenice na drugom mjestu

Croatian word order is flexible: the default is Subject-Verb-Object, but you can move words around to highlight different parts of the sentence because the case endings already show who does what. The one thing that is NOT free is where the little unstressed helper words go. Words like the auxiliary 'sam' (am), the verb 'je' (is), and reflexive 'se' are clitics: they cannot start a sentence and they jump to the SECOND position, right after the first stressed word or phrase. So you say 'Ja sam student' but if you drop 'ja', the clitic still needs something in front: 'Student sam'. Getting this second-position rule right is the single most Croatian-sounding thing a beginner can learn.

Key rule

Default order is Subject-Verb-Object, but unstressed clitics (sam, je, se…) must sit in second position and can never begin the clause.

Examples

Ja sam student.
Sam student.
The clitic 'sam' cannot start the clause; it needs a stressed word in front of it.
Student sam.
Sam student.
When 'ja' is dropped, the noun 'student' takes first position so the clitic 'sam' can sit second.
Marko čita knjigu.
Marko knjigu čita.
The neutral, default order is Subject-Verb-Object; the variant exists but is marked, not the basic form a beginner should produce.

Common mistakes

Starting a clause with a clitic
Sam iz Zagreba.
Ja sam iz Zagreba.
Clitics like 'sam' cannot occupy first position; a stressed word must precede them.
Pushing the clitic to the end of the sentence
Danas umoran sam.
Danas sam umoran.
The clitic belongs in second position, right after the first accented word, not at the clause end.

A1Syntax

Yes/No Questions (Je li…?, Da li…?, …li…?)

Da-ne pitanja (je li, da li, li)

To ask a question that expects 'yes' or 'no', Croatian has three main ways. The most natural everyday opener is 'Je li...?' before the rest of the sentence: 'Je li ovo tvoja torba?' (Is this your bag?). A second, very common option is 'Da li...?' at the start: 'Da li govoriš hrvatski?'. The third way puts the verb first and adds the little word 'li' right after it: 'Govoriš li hrvatski?'. In casual speech you can also just raise your intonation without any of these markers. The particle 'li' always attaches to the focused word, so whatever comes before 'li' is what the question is really about.

Key rule

Form yes/no questions with 'Je li…?', 'Da li…?', or Verb + 'li…?'; the particle 'li' attaches to the focused word and the answer is da or ne.

Examples

Je li ovo tvoja torba?
Li je ovo tvoja torba?
The particle 'li' follows the word it focuses; it cannot begin the question, so the standard opener is 'Je li...'.
Da li govoriš hrvatski?
Da govoriš hrvatski?
Without 'li', 'da' just means 'that/yes'; the yes/no opener needs 'da li' together.
Radiš li danas?
Li radiš danas?
'li' must come second, right after the verb, never first.

Common mistakes

Starting the question with 'li'
Li imaš vremena?
Imaš li vremena?
'li' is a clitic and must stand in second position, right after the focused word.
Using 'da' alone as a yes/no opener
Da govoriš engleski?
Da li govoriš engleski?
The opener is the fixed pair 'da li'; 'da' by itself means 'that' or the answer 'yes'.

A1Syntax

Wh-Questions (Tko? Što? Gdje? Kada?)

Pitanja s upitnom riječi

When you want specific information rather than a simple yes or no, you start the question with a question word: 'tko' (who), 'što' (what), 'gdje' (where), 'kada' (when), 'zašto' (why), 'kako' (how). The question word goes first, then the verb, then the rest: 'Gdje radiš?' (Where do you work?), 'Što jedeš?' (What are you eating?). You do NOT add 'li' to these questions, and you do not need a helper word like English 'do'. Any clitics still slip into second position, right after the question word: 'Kako se zoveš?'. To answer, you just give the information: 'Radim u banci.'

Key rule

Begin content questions with the question word (tko, što, gdje, kada, zašto, kako), follow it with the verb, and let any clitics sit second right after the question word — no 'li', no 'do'.

Examples

Gdje radiš?
Gdje li radiš?
Wh-questions do not take the yes/no particle 'li'; the question word alone signals the question.
Što jedeš?
Što ti jedeš što?
The question word 'što' opens the clause once; it is not repeated or doubled.
Kako se zoveš?
Kako zoveš se?
The clitic 'se' takes second position, right after the question word 'kako', before the verb.

Common mistakes

Adding 'li' to a wh-question
Gdje li stanuješ?
Gdje stanuješ?
Content questions are already marked by the question word; the yes/no particle 'li' does not belong.
Translating English 'do' into the question
Što ti radiš do?
Što radiš?
Croatian has no auxiliary 'do'; the verb itself carries the question.

A1Syntax

Negation & Double Negation — Introduction

Negacija i dvostruka negacija (uvod)

To make a verb negative in Croatian, put 'ne' right before it: 'ne znam' (I don't know), 'ne razumijem' (I don't understand). 'ne' is always written separately from the verb (except in a few fixed forms like nemam, neću, nisam). The surprising rule for English speakers is double negation: when you use a negative word like 'nitko' (nobody), 'ništa' (nothing), 'nikad' (never) or 'nigdje' (nowhere), the verb STILL has to be negated too. So 'Nobody is coming' is 'Nitko ne dolazi' — literally with two negatives — and that is the only correct way. Saying it with just one negative sounds wrong to a Croatian ear.

Key rule

Negate the verb with a separate 'ne' before it, and remember that negative words (nitko, ništa, nikad, nigdje) require the verb to ALSO be negated — double negation is obligatory.

Examples

Ne znam.
Neznam.
The particle 'ne' is written separately from the verb 'znam'.
Nitko ne dolazi.
Nitko dolazi.
The negative word 'nitko' requires the verb to also be negated; a single negative is ungrammatical.
Ništa ne znam.
Ništa znam.
With 'ništa' (nothing) the verb must still carry 'ne'; both negatives are required.

Common mistakes

Writing 'ne' joined to the verb
Nerazumijem.
Ne razumijem.
The negation 'ne' is a separate word before regular verbs; only nemam/neću/nisam are written as one.
Using a single negative with a negative pronoun (English-style)
Nitko dolazi.
Nitko ne dolazi.
Croatian requires negative concord: the verb must also be negated.

A1Connectors

Coordinating Conjunctions (i, a, ali, ili)

Sastavni veznici (i, a, ali, ili)

Small linking words let you join words and clauses. 'i' means 'and' and simply adds things: 'kruh i mlijeko' (bread and milk). 'ili' means 'or': 'čaj ili kava' (tea or coffee). The tricky pair is 'a' versus 'ali'. Both can translate as 'but', but 'a' marks a mild contrast or a 'whereas' comparison between two different subjects: 'Ja radim, a ti spavaš' (I work, whereas you sleep). 'ali' is a stronger 'but' that goes against expectation: 'Volim te, ali moram ići' (I love you, but I have to go). When 'a', 'ali' or 'ili' join two clauses, you usually put a comma before them; 'i' joining a simple list usually takes no comma.

Key rule

Use i for adding, ili for alternatives, a for soft 'whereas' contrast, and ali for a strong 'but'; put a comma before a, ali, and ili when they join clauses.

Examples

Kupila je kruh i mlijeko.
Kupila je kruh, i mlijeko.
'i' joining a simple list takes no comma before it.
Želiš li čaj ili kavu?
Želiš li čaj i kavu?
Offering a choice between alternatives needs 'ili' (or), not 'i' (and).
Ja radim, a ti spavaš.
Ja radim a ti spavaš.
When 'a' joins two clauses, a comma comes before it.

Common mistakes

Using 'ali' for a soft comparison
Ja pijem čaj, ali on pije kavu.
Ja pijem čaj, a on pije kavu.
A mild 'whereas' contrast between two subjects calls for 'a', not the strong adversative 'ali'.
Using 'a' for a real obstacle
Želim doći, a ne mogu.
Želim doći, ali ne mogu.
Something against expectation (an obstacle) needs the genuine adversative 'ali'.

A1Connectors

Basic Subordinators (da, jer)

Zavisni veznici da i jer

Two small words let you build longer, more natural sentences. 'da' introduces a 'that' clause after verbs of saying, knowing or thinking: 'Znam da je ovdje' (I know that he is here), 'Mislim da imaš pravo' (I think that you are right). Unlike English, you cannot drop 'da' — it must be there. 'jer' means 'because' and gives a reason: 'Ostajem kod kuće jer sam umoran' (I'm staying home because I'm tired). Both 'da' and 'jer' begin a second, dependent clause, and Croatian puts a comma before that clause. After 'da' and 'jer' the verb stays in its normal present form; the everyday word order of the clause does not flip the way it does in some other languages.

Key rule

Use da for an obligatory 'that'-clause after verbs of saying/thinking/knowing and jer for a 'because'-reason clause; put a comma before the subordinate clause and never drop da.

Examples

Znam da je ovdje.
Znam je ovdje.
Unlike English, Croatian cannot drop 'da'; the 'that'-clause must be introduced by it.
Mislim da imaš pravo.
Mislim imaš pravo.
After 'mislim', the complementiser 'da' is obligatory before the clause.
Ostajem kod kuće jer sam umoran.
Ostajem kod kuće zato umoran.
A reason clause needs the conjunction 'jer' plus a finite verb (sam), not just 'zato' with an adjective.

Common mistakes

Dropping 'da' as in English
Mislim imaš pravo.
Mislim da imaš pravo.
Croatian does not allow the 'that'-complementiser to be omitted.
Using 'da' to mean 'because'
Ostajem doma da sam umoran.
Ostajem doma jer sam umoran.
'because' is 'jer'; 'da' introduces a 'that' clause, not a reason.

A1Verb tenses

The Verb biti (to be) — Present (jesam)

Glagol biti — prezent (jesam)

The verb biti means 'to be' and it is the first verb every learner needs. In the present tense it has two sets of forms: a stressed (full) set and an unstressed (clitic) set. This tag covers the stressed forms: jesam, jesi, jest(e), jesmo, jeste, jesu. You use the full forms when you want to emphasise the verb, when you answer a yes/no question with just 'yes', and at the start of a sentence. Because Croatian shows the person in the verb ending, you usually do not need a subject pronoun: Jesam student means 'I am a student', and the ja is optional. Learn jesam first as your strong, emphatic 'to be'.

Key rule

The stressed present of biti is jesam, jesi, jest(e), jesmo, jeste, jesu; use it for emphasis, in one-word affirmative answers, and clause-initially.

Examples

Jesam student.
Sam student.
Clause-initially a clitic cannot stand, so the full form jesam is required.
Jesi li ti Ana?
Si li ti Ana?
In a yes/no question with li, the stressed jesi is used, not the clitic si.
Jesmo li spremni?
Smo li spremni?
The full form jesmo opens the question; the clitic smo cannot start a clause.

Common mistakes

Using a clitic at the start of a clause
Sam umoran.
Jesam umoran.
An enclitic (sam) must lean on a preceding word; clause-initially the stressed jesam is obligatory.
Answering 'yes' with a clitic
Jesi li gladan? Si.
Jesi li gladan? Jesam.
A one-word answer needs the stressed form, and it must match first person: jesam.

A1Verb tenses

biti — Clitic Present (sam, si, je…)

Biti — nenaglašeni oblik (sam, si, je)

Alongside the stressed forms (jesam…), biti has a set of short, unstressed forms: sam, si, je, smo, ste, su. These are the everyday forms you use in normal statements: Ja sam student means 'I am a student'. The short forms are enclitics — they cannot stand at the very start of a sentence, because they need a word in front of them to 'lean on'. So you say Ana je doma, not Je Ana doma as a statement. The clitic almost always sits in the second position of the clause. Use the short form for neutral 'to be'; switch to the stressed jesam only for emphasis, for one-word answers, and at the start of a clause.

Key rule

Use the enclitic forms sam, si, je, smo, ste, su for ordinary 'to be'; they take second position and never start a clause.

Examples

Ja sam učiteljica.
Sam ja učiteljica.
The clitic sam must follow a stressed word; it cannot open the clause.
Umoran sam.
Sam umoran.
With no subject pronoun, the adjective comes first and the clitic leans on it.
Ana je u školi.
Je Ana u školi.
As a statement the clitic je is in second position, not at the front.

Common mistakes

Putting the clitic first in a statement
Sam doktor.
Ja sam doktor.
Enclitics cannot begin a clause; a stressed word (here a pronoun) must precede them.
Using je for a plural subject
Oni je gladni.
Oni su gladni.
je is third person singular; a plural subject requires su.

A1Verb tenses

Negation of biti (nisam, nisi, nije…)

Niječni oblik glagola biti

To say 'I am not, you are not…' in Croatian you do not put ne before sam. Instead biti has special fused negative forms: nisam, nisi, nije, nismo, niste, nisu. So 'I am not tired' is Nisam umoran, never *Ne sam umoran. Unlike the clitic affirmative forms, these negative forms ARE stressed, so they CAN begin a sentence: Nisam gladan is a perfectly normal statement. The third-person singular is nije — very common in everyday speech (To nije istina = 'That's not true'). Just memorise the six negative forms as a set; they replace both the clitic and the stressed affirmative when the meaning is negative.

Key rule

Negate biti with the fused, stressed forms nisam, nisi, nije, nismo, niste, nisu — never with ne + the clitic.

Examples

Nisam umoran.
Ne sam umoran.
biti negates with the fused nisam; ne is never written separately here.
To nije istina.
To ne je istina.
The fused third-person negative is nije, not ne je.
Nismo gladni.
Ne smo gladni.
First person plural negative is the single word nismo.

Common mistakes

Splitting the negative into ne + clitic
Ne sam doma.
Nisam doma.
biti uses fused negatives; ne is never separated from the verb here.
Writing ne je instead of nije
On ne je dobar.
On nije dobar.
The third-person singular negative is the single word nije.

A1Verb tenses

Present Tense — a-Class Verbs (-am)

Prezent — glagoli na -am

Most Croatian verbs whose infinitive ends in -ati belong to the a-class and are the easiest to conjugate. Take čitati ('to read'): drop the -ti and add the endings -m, -š, ∅, -mo, -te, -ju. That gives čitam, čitaš, čita, čitamo, čitate, čitaju. The same pattern works for gledati (gledam), pitati (pitam), igrati (igram), and hundreds more. Because the verb ending shows who is acting, you usually drop the pronoun: Čitam knjigu = 'I am reading a book'. Notice the present covers both English 'I read' and 'I am reading'. Learn this -am pattern first — it is the most regular conjugation in the language.

Key rule

For a-class (-ati) verbs, drop -ti and add -m, -š, -∅, -mo, -te, -ju to the -a- stem (čitam, čitaš, čita, čitamo, čitate, čitaju).

Examples

Ja čitam knjigu.
Ja čitati knjigu.
The verb must be conjugated; the infinitive čitati cannot be the main verb.
Ti gledaš film.
Ti gledam film.
Second person singular ends in -š (gledaš), not the first-person -m.
On pita učiteljicu.
On pitam učiteljicu.
Third person singular is the bare stem pita, with no ending.

Common mistakes

Using the infinitive as the main verb
Ja čitati novine.
Ja čitam novine.
Unlike English, Croatian requires a conjugated verb; the infinitive cannot head the sentence.
Wrong person ending
Ti gledam televiziju.
Ti gledaš televiziju.
Second person singular takes -š; -m is first person.

A1Verb tenses

Present Tense — i-Class Verbs (-im)

Prezent — glagoli na -im

The second big regular pattern is the i-class. These verbs (often with infinitives in -iti or -jeti) take a present stem in -i- and the endings -m, -š, ∅, -mo, -te, -e. Take raditi ('to work, to do'): radim, radiš, radi, radimo, radite, rade. The third-person plural ends in -e (rade), which is the main thing that separates the i-class from the a-class (-ju) and the e-class (-u). Other common i-class verbs are govoriti (govorim), učiti (učim), voljeti (volim), and misliti (mislim). As always, you can drop the pronoun, and the present covers both 'I work' and 'I am working'.

Key rule

For i-class verbs, add -m, -š, -∅, -mo, -te, -e to the -i- stem; the diagnostic third-person plural ends in -e (radim, radiš, radi, radimo, radite, rade).

Examples

Ja radim u uredu.
Ja radem u uredu.
First person singular keeps the -i- stem: radim, not radem.
Ti govoriš hrvatski.
Ti govoraš hrvatski.
i-class verbs keep -i- in the stem; the second person is govoriš, not govoraš.
Ona uči za ispit.
Ona učim za ispit.
Third person singular is the bare stem uči; -m is first person.

Common mistakes

Using the a-class plural -ju
Oni misliju.
Oni misle.
i-class verbs take -e in the third person plural, not the a-class -ju.
Replacing -i- with -a- in the stem
Ja radam.
Ja radim.
The i-class stem vowel is -i-; the form is radim.

A1Verb tenses

Present Tense — e-Class Verbs (-em)

Prezent — glagoli na -em

The e-class is the trickiest of the three regular present patterns, because the present stem often differs from the infinitive. The endings themselves are simple: -m, -š, ∅, -mo, -te, -u. The challenge is finding the stem. With pisati ('to write') the stem changes to piš-, giving pišem, pišeš, piše, pišemo, pišete, pišu. With piti ('to drink') you get pijem, piješ, pije…; with ići ('to go') you get idem, ideš, ide… The diagnostic plural ending is -u (pišu, piju, idu). Because the stem is unpredictable, it is best to learn the first-person singular (the 'ja' form) of each e-class verb along with its infinitive.

Key rule

For e-class verbs add -m, -š, -∅, -mo, -te, -u to a present stem that is often unpredictable, so learn the 1sg form with the infinitive (pisati → pišem; piti → pijem; ići → idem).

Examples

Ja pišem pismo.
Ja pisam pismo.
pisati shifts its stem to piš-; the form is pišem, not pisam.
Ti piješ kavu.
Ti pitiš kavu.
piti has the present stem pij-, giving piješ; the infinitive stem is not kept.
On ide kući.
On idi kući.
ići has the present stem id-; the 3sg is ide (idi would be the imperative).

Common mistakes

Keeping the infinitive stem instead of changing it
Ja pisam pjesmu.
Ja pišem pjesmu.
pisati changes s→š in the present stem: pišem.
Using an i-class or a-class ending
Oni pišaju brzo.
Oni pišu brzo.
The e-class third person plural is -u (pišu), not -ju or -e.

A1Verb tenses

The Verb htjeti (to want) — Present (hoću / ću)

Glagol htjeti — prezent (hoću, ću)

Htjeti means 'to want' (and 'to will' — it also forms the future). Like biti, it has two present forms: a stressed set and a clitic set. The stressed forms are hoću, hoćeš, hoće, hoćemo, hoćete, hoće and mean 'I want…': Hoću kavu = 'I want a coffee'. The clitic forms are ću, ćeš, će, ćemo, ćete, će — these are unstressed, take second position, and are mainly used to build the future tense (Radit ću = 'I will work'). The negative is the fused neću, nećeš, neće… ('I don't want / I won't'). Learn hoću for 'I want' now; you will reuse ću for the future later.

Key rule

htjeti has stressed forms hoću/hoćeš/hoće… ('want'), clitic forms ću/ćeš/će… (the future auxiliary), and a fused negative neću/nećeš/neće… ('don't want / won't').

Examples

Hoću kavu.
Ću kavu.
Clause-initially the stressed hoću is required; the clitic ću cannot start a sentence.
Hoćeš li čaj?
Ćeš li čaj?
In a li-question the stressed hoćeš is used, not the clitic ćeš.
Ne, neću ništa.
Ne, ne hoću ništa.
The negative of htjeti is the fused neću; ne hoću does not exist.

Common mistakes

Using a clitic clause-initially
Ću sok.
Hoću sok.
The enclitic ću must lean on a preceding word; the stressed hoću opens the clause.
Splitting the negative
Ne hoću čaj.
Neću čaj.
htjeti negates with the fused neću; ne is never separated here.

A1Verb tenses

The Verb moći (can / be able) — Present

Glagol moći — prezent

Moći means 'can / to be able to' and is one of the most useful modal verbs. Its present is mogu, možeš, može, možemo, možete, mogu. Notice the first and third person plural are the same (mogu), and that the consonant changes from g to ž in the middle forms (mogu but možeš) — this is a regular sound change. Moći is normally followed by an infinitive: Mogu doći means 'I can come', Možeš li mi pomoći? means 'Can you help me?'. The very common može alone also means 'OK / that works'. The negative is the regular ne mogu, ne možeš… ('I can't…').

Key rule

moći ('can') is mogu, možeš, može, možemo, možete, mogu (g→ž except 1sg/3pl) and takes an infinitive; negate it regularly with ne (ne mogu).

Examples

Mogu ti pomoći.
Možem ti pomoći.
The first person singular is mogu, not the regularised možem.
Možeš li doći sutra?
Mogeš li doći sutra?
The stem changes g→ž before -eš: možeš, not mogeš.
Ona može govoriti hrvatski.
Ona mogu govoriti hrvatski.
Third person singular is može; mogu is 1sg/3pl.

Common mistakes

Regularising the 1sg to možem
Ja možem doći.
Ja mogu doći.
The first person singular of moći is the irregular mogu, not možem.
Forgetting the g→ž change
Ti mogeš pomoći.
Ti možeš pomoći.
Before front-vowel endings the stem changes to mož-: možeš.

A1Verb tenses

Verb Negation with ne

Niječnica ne uz glagol

To make an ordinary verb negative in Croatian, put ne directly in front of it, written as a separate word: Ne radim = 'I don't work', Ne pišem = 'I'm not writing', Ne razumijem = 'I don't understand'. There is no 'do' as in English — just ne + the conjugated verb. Three verbs are exceptions because their negative is fused into one word: biti → nisam, imati → nemam, htjeti → neću. For everything else, ne stands apart. Croatian also uses double negation: with words like ništa ('nothing') or nikad ('never') the verb still keeps ne — Ne znam ništa = 'I don't know anything'.

Key rule

Negate ordinary verbs with a separate ne before the verb (ne radim); only biti, imati and htjeti fuse it (nisam, nemam, neću), and negative words still require ne (negative concord).

Examples

Ne radim danas.
Neradim danas.
With ordinary verbs ne is written as a separate word: ne radim.
Ne razumijem te.
Ne razumim te.
razumjeti has the present razumijem; ne stays separate before it.
Ne znam ništa.
Znam ništa.
A negative word (ništa) still requires ne on the verb: negative concord.

Common mistakes

Writing ne joined to the verb
Neznam odgovor.
Ne znam odgovor.
With ordinary verbs ne is a separate word; only nisam/nemam/neću are fused.
Dropping ne when a negative word is present
Ništa razumijem.
Ništa ne razumijem.
Croatian requires negative concord: the verb stays negated with ne.

A1Verb tenses

Present for Near-Future & Habitual

Prezent za blisku budućnost i ponavljanje

One Croatian present tense does the work of several English tenses. It covers the simple present ('I work'), the present continuous ('I'm working' — there is no separate -ing form), habitual/repeated actions ('Every day I work'), and, very commonly, scheduled near-future events ('Tomorrow I'm travelling'). So Radim means both 'I work' and 'I am working', Svaki dan radim is 'I work every day', and Sutra putujem is 'I'm travelling tomorrow'. Time words like sutra ('tomorrow'), danas ('today'), svaki dan ('every day') and uvijek ('always') tell you which reading is meant. Note: for near-future planning Croatian usually uses an imperfective verb in the present.

Key rule

The Croatian present covers simple, continuous, habitual and scheduled-near-future meanings (Radim = 'I work / I am working'; Sutra putujem = 'I'm travelling tomorrow'); time words signal which reading applies.

Examples

Sutra putujem u Split.
Sutra putovat ću putujem u Split.
The present alone expresses a scheduled near future; do not also add a future auxiliary.
Svaki dan radim od devet do pet.
Svaki dan radim sada.
svaki dan signals a habitual reading; pairing it with sada ('now') is contradictory.
Sada pišem zadaću.
Sada pisam zadaću.
The present covers the progressive 'right now'; the form is pišem (no special -ing tense).

Common mistakes

Looking for a separate continuous tense
Ja sam radeći sada.
Sada radim.
Croatian has no progressive auxiliary; the plain present covers 'I am working'.
Adding a future auxiliary to a present-future
Sutra ću putujem.
Sutra putujem.
Either use the plain present for the schedule (putujem) or the futur (putovat ću), not both.

A1Verb usage

biti as Copula + Predicate Noun/Adjective

Biti kao spona — imenski predikat

Croatian uses the verb 'biti' (to be) to link a subject to a noun or adjective that describes it, just like English 'is/am/are'. The thing on each side of 'biti' stays in the nominative case, the dictionary form: 'On je student' (He is a student). The most common forms are the short clitic ones: sam, si, je, smo, ste, su. A predicate adjective must agree with the subject in gender and number: 'Umoran sam' (I am tired, said by a man), 'Umorna sam' (said by a woman). Croatian also drops the subject pronoun very often, because the verb already shows the person: 'Student sam' is a complete sentence meaning 'I am a student'.

Key rule

Link subject and predicate with biti; the predicate noun stays in the nominative and a predicate adjective agrees in gender and number with the subject.

Examples

On je student.
On je studenta.
A predicate noun after the copula stays in the nominative (student), not the accusative/genitive.
Umoran sam.
Umoren sam.
The masculine indefinite adjective is 'umoran'; '*umoren' is not a Croatian form.
Ona je liječnica.
Ona je liječnik.
A female subject takes the feminine predicate noun 'liječnica', not the masculine 'liječnik'.

Common mistakes

Putting the predicate noun in the accusative
Ona je liječnicu.
Ona je liječnica.
After the copula the predicate noun stays in the nominative; the accusative is only for direct objects.
Failing to make the predicate adjective agree in gender
Ana je umoran.
Ana je umorna.
A predicate adjective must match the subject's gender; a female subject takes the feminine '-a' form.

A1Verb usage

Possession: imati / nemati (to have / not to have)

Imati i nemati

The verb 'imati' means 'to have' and works like an ordinary verb: imam, imaš, ima, imamo, imate, imaju. The thing you have goes into the accusative case: 'Imam knjigu' (I have a book), 'Imamo psa' (We have a dog). Its negative is a single fused word 'nemati' — nemam, nemaš, nema… — never '*ne imam'. With the negative, the object switches from the accusative to the GENITIVE, a typical Slavic pattern: 'Imam vremena' becomes 'Nemam vremena' (I don't have time). The third-person 'nema' also works on its own to mean 'there isn't / there is no': 'Nema kruha' (There is no bread).

Key rule

imati takes its object in the accusative; the fused negative nemati (never *ne imam) puts that object in the genitive, and impersonal nema means 'there isn't' + genitive.

Examples

Imam knjigu.
Imam knjiga.
The object of affirmative 'imati' is accusative; the feminine accusative of 'knjiga' is 'knjigu'.
Nemam vremena.
Nemam vrijeme.
Under negation the object goes into the genitive: 'vremena', not the accusative 'vrijeme'.
On nema novca.
On ne ima novca.
The negative is the fused 'nema'; '*ne ima' is never written separately.

Common mistakes

Writing the negative as two words
Ja ne imam auto.
Ja nemam auto.
The negative of 'imati' is the single fused word 'nemati' (nemam), never '*ne imam'.
Keeping the accusative object under negation
Nemam novac.
Nemam novca.
Negation triggers the genitive of negation: the object switches to 'novca'.

A1Verb usage

Modal Verbs + Infinitive (moći, morati, htjeti)

Modalni glagoli + infinitiv

Modal verbs express ability, necessity, and wishes: 'moći' (can/be able to), 'morati' (must/have to), 'htjeti' (want), 'željeti' (wish/want), 'smjeti' (be allowed to). In standard Croatian they are followed directly by the INFINITIVE, the dictionary form of the second verb ending in -ti: 'Mogu raditi' (I can work), 'Moram učiti' (I must study), 'Želim spavati' (I want to sleep). Only the modal verb changes for person; the infinitive stays the same: 'On mora učiti', 'Mi moramo učiti'. To negate, you negate the modal: 'Ne mogu doći', 'Ne moram raditi', and the irregular 'ne mogu' / 'neću' (won't).

Key rule

Conjugate the modal for the person and follow it with the bare infinitive; negate the modal itself (ne moram, ne mogu, neću).

Examples

Mogu raditi.
Mogu radim.
A modal is followed by the infinitive 'raditi', not a finite present 'radim'.
Moram učiti.
Moram da učim.
Standard Croatian uses the bare infinitive; 'da + present' is a colloquial/eastern variant.
Želim spavati.
Želim spavam.
After 'želim' comes the infinitive 'spavati', not the finite 'spavam'.

Common mistakes

Following the modal with a finite present
Mogu radim.
Mogu raditi.
Modals govern the infinitive, not a conjugated present tense.
Using da + present instead of the infinitive
Želim da spavam.
Želim spavati.
Standard Croatian prefers the bare infinitive; 'da + present' is colloquial/eastern.

A1Verb usage

Infinitive vs da + Present — Introduction

Infinitiv ili da + prezent (uvod)

After verbs of wishing, ability, and intention (želim, mogu, moram, idem), standard Croatian uses the INFINITIVE: 'Želim raditi' (I want to work), 'Idem kupiti kruh' (I'm going to buy bread). There is another construction, 'da + present' ('Želim da radim'), which you will hear, but it is colloquial and more typical of eastern usage; in good standard Croatian you should default to the infinitive whenever the subject is the same. The 'da' construction is necessary only when the two clauses have DIFFERENT subjects: 'Želim da ti dođeš' (I want YOU to come) — here the infinitive cannot express the change of subject.

Key rule

With the same subject use the bare infinitive (Želim raditi); use da + present only when the embedded clause has a different subject (Želim da ti dođeš).

Examples

Želim raditi.
Želim da radim.
Same subject — standard Croatian uses the infinitive; 'da + present' here is colloquial.
Mogu doći sutra.
Mogu da dođem sutra.
After 'moći' with the same subject the infinitive is standard.
Idem kupiti kruh.
Idem da kupim kruh.
Purpose with the same subject after a motion verb takes the infinitive.

Common mistakes

Using da + present where the subject is the same
Mogu da dođem.
Mogu doći.
With one subject, standard Croatian prefers the bare infinitive.
Trying to use the infinitive for a different subject
Želim doći ti.
Želim da ti dođeš.
When the doer changes, the infinitive cannot express it; use 'da + present'.

A1Verb usage

sviđati se (to like) + Dative Experiencer

Sviđati se — dativ doživljavača

To say you like something, Croatian uses 'sviđati se' with a dative pronoun, much like the English 'it appeals to me'. The thing you like is the grammatical SUBJECT and controls the verb; the person who likes it goes in the DATIVE: 'Sviđa mi se ova knjiga' (I like this book — literally 'this book appeals to me'). If you like several things, the verb becomes plural: 'Sviđaju mi se knjige' (I like books). The dative clitics are mi, ti, mu, joj, nam, vam, im. Because the liked thing is the subject, the verb agrees with IT, not with the person — this is the opposite of English, where 'I' is the subject.

Key rule

The liked thing is the nominative subject and controls the verb; the liker is in the dative (Sviđa mi se… / Sviđaju mi se…).

Examples

Sviđa mi se ova knjiga.
Sviđam ovu knjigu.
The liker is dative ('mi') and the book is the subject; you cannot make 'I' the subject with an accusative object.
Sviđaju mi se knjige.
Sviđa mi se knjige.
A plural subject ('knjige') needs the plural verb 'sviđaju'.
Sviđa li ti se grad?
Sviđaš li grad?
The experiencer is dative ('ti'); the verb agrees with the subject 'grad', not with 'you'.

Common mistakes

Making the experiencer the subject
Sviđam ovu pjesmu.
Sviđa mi se ova pjesma.
The liker must be in the dative; the liked thing is the nominative subject.
Not agreeing the verb with a plural stimulus
Sviđa mi se cipele.
Sviđaju mi se cipele.
A plural subject ('cipele') requires the plural verb 'sviđaju'.

A1Verb usage

trebati (to need / should) — Basic

Trebati — osnovno

'Trebati' has two everyday patterns. As a personal verb meaning 'to need', it is conjugated for the person and takes its object in the accusative: 'Trebam odmor' (I need a rest), 'Trebamo pomoć' (We need help). As an impersonal verb meaning 'one should / it is necessary', it stays in the fixed third-person singular 'treba' and is followed by an infinitive: 'Treba učiti' (One should study / It is necessary to study). Standard Croatian prefers this personal 'trebam + accusative' and impersonal 'treba + infinitive'; the eastern pattern 'treba da učim' is colloquial. So 'I need a book' is 'Trebam knjigu', while 'You should rest' is best put as 'Trebaš se odmoriti' or impersonal 'Treba se odmoriti'.

Key rule

Personal trebati ('need') is conjugated and takes an accusative object; impersonal treba ('one should') stays in the 3rd-person singular and takes an infinitive.

Examples

Trebam odmor.
Trebam odmora.
Personal 'trebati' ('need') takes a direct object in the accusative 'odmor', not the genitive.
Treba učiti.
Treba uči.
Impersonal 'treba' ('one should') is followed by the infinitive 'učiti', not a finite present.
Trebamo pomoć.
Trebamo pomoći.
Here 'pomoć' is an accusative object ('we need help'), not the infinitive 'pomoći'.

Common mistakes

Putting the needed thing in the genitive
Trebam odmora.
Trebam odmor.
Personal 'trebati' ('need') governs the accusative; 'odmor' is the accusative form.
Conjugating impersonal treba for a general 'one should'
Trebam učiti svaki dan.
Treba učiti svaki dan.
The general 'one should' is the frozen impersonal 'treba' + infinitive, not a personal form.

A1Verb usage

Reflexive se — Introduction (zvati se, osjećati se)

Povratno se — uvod

Many everyday Croatian verbs carry the little word 'se': 'zvati se' (to be called), 'osjećati se' (to feel), 'igrati se' (to play), 'kupati se' (to bathe). 'Se' is a clitic — a small unstressed word that must sit in SECOND position in the sentence, never at the very start: 'Zovem se Ana' (My name is Ana), 'Kako se osjećaš?' (How do you feel?). One form 'se' works for every person; only the verb changes: 'zovem se, zoveš se, zove se'. When the sentence begins with a question word or another stressed word, 'se' comes right after it: 'Kako se zoveš?'. Do not put 'se' at the start of a clause.

Key rule

Reflexive verbs carry the invariant clitic se, which sits in second position (never first) while only the verb conjugates: Zovem se…, Kako se osjećaš?

Examples

Zovem se Ana.
Se zovem Ana.
The clitic 'se' cannot start the sentence; the verb 'zovem' comes first, then 'se'.
Kako se osjećaš?
Kako osjećaš se?
After the question word 'kako', 'se' must come immediately in second position, before the verb.
On se zove Marko.
On zove se Marko.
'Se' attaches in second position right after 'on', not after the verb.

Common mistakes

Starting a clause with se
Se zovem Ivan.
Zovem se Ivan.
The clitic 'se' must sit in second position and can never open a sentence.
Putting se after the verb when a stressed word is fronted
Kako osjećaš se?
Kako se osjećaš?
After a fronted question word, 'se' goes immediately into second position, before the verb.

A1Aspect

Aspect Awareness — Perfective ↔ Imperfective Pairs

Glagolski vid — uvod (svršeni i nesvršeni)

A defining feature of Croatian (and Slavic) verbs is ASPECT: most verbs come in a PAIR. One member is imperfective — it describes an action as ongoing, repeated, or in progress (raditi, pisati, čitati). The other is perfective — it views the action as a single whole that is completed (napraviti, napisati, pročitati). 'Pisati' = to be writing / to write (in general); 'napisati' = to write (and finish). At A1 you only need to RECOGNISE that pairs exist and roughly tell process from completion; you do not yet have to use both correctly in every tense. Often a prefix turns the ongoing verb into the completed one: pisati → napisati, raditi → napraviti, piti → popiti.

Key rule

Croatian verbs come in aspect pairs: the imperfective views an action as ongoing/repeated, the perfective as a single completed whole (pisati vs napisati).

Examples

Svaki dan pišem pisma.
Svaki dan napišem pisma.
A repeated habitual action ('every day') takes the imperfective 'pišem'; the perfective 'napišem' marks a single completed event.
Danas sam napisao pismo.
Danas sam pisao pismo.
To stress that the whole letter is finished, use the perfective 'napisao'; the imperfective 'pisao' would mean 'was writing', leaving completion open.
Volim čitati knjige.
Volim pročitati knjige.
A general activity ('I like reading') takes the imperfective 'čitati', not the completion-focused perfective 'pročitati'.

Common mistakes

Using a perfective for a habitual action
Svaki dan napišem pismo.
Svaki dan pišem pismo.
Repeated/habitual actions take the imperfective; the perfective marks a single whole event.
Using the perfective as a present in progress
Sada pročitam knjigu.
Sada čitam knjigu.
The perfective has no true present meaning; ongoing 'now' requires the imperfective.

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A1 Croatian Grammar — 71 Topics & Common Mistakes

Three Genders & How to Recognise Them

No Articles (definiteness from context)

Nominative Case — Subject & Citation

Accusative Case + the Animacy Rule

Genitive Case — Formation

Genitive for Possession

Genitive of Negation

Genitive after Quantity Words

The Seven-Case System — Overview

Dative Case — Formation & Recipient

Dative for Direction Towards a Person

Locative Case — Formation (always with a preposition)

Instrumental Case — Formation & Means

Vocative Case — Formation (-e / -u / -o; palatalization)

Vocative — Usage in Address & Greetings

Singular Case Endings — Overview by Gender

Case Questions (tko/što in each case)

The Croatian Alphabet (gajica, 30 letters)

The Digraphs lj, nj, dž (one sound each)

The Distinction č vs ć

The Distinction dž vs đ

The Jat Reflex ije/je — Introduction (ijekavian)

Sound Alternations — Preview (sibilarization & palatalization)

Capitalization (lower-case days, months, nationalities)

Spelling Basics & Simple Compounds

u / na — Accusative (motion) vs Locative (location)

s / sa + Instrumental (with)

od / do / iz + Genitive (from / to / out of)

k / prema + Dative (towards)

o + Locative (about)

za + Accusative (for)

u / na in Time Expressions (u ponedjeljak, na ljeto)

Personal Pronouns — Nominative (ja, ti, on…)

Personal Pronouns — Clitic vs Full (me/mene, mi/meni)

Possessive Pronouns (moj, tvoj, naš…)

The Reflexive Possessive svoj

Demonstratives ovaj / taj / onaj (three-way)

Interrogatives tko (who) vs što (what)

Question Words (gdje, kamo, kada, zašto, kako)

Reflexive Pronoun se / sebe — Introduction

Third-Person Possessives (njegov, njezin, njihov)

ti vs Vi (informal vs formal address)

Greetings (Dobar dan, Bok, Doviđenja)

Politeness Words (molim, hvala, oprostite, izvolite)

Cardinal Numbers 1–100

Days & Months (lower-case)

Telling Time — Basic (Koliko je sati?)

Basic Word Order (SVO) + Clitic-Second Intro

Yes/No Questions (Je li…?, Da li…?, …li…?)

Wh-Questions (Tko? Što? Gdje? Kada?)

Negation & Double Negation — Introduction

Coordinating Conjunctions (i, a, ali, ili)

Basic Subordinators (da, jer)

The Verb biti (to be) — Present (jesam)

biti — Clitic Present (sam, si, je…)

Negation of biti (nisam, nisi, nije…)

Present Tense — a-Class Verbs (-am)

Present Tense — i-Class Verbs (-im)

Present Tense — e-Class Verbs (-em)

The Verb htjeti (to want) — Present (hoću / ću)

The Verb moći (can / be able) — Present

Verb Negation with ne

Present for Near-Future & Habitual

biti as Copula + Predicate Noun/Adjective

Possession: imati / nemati (to have / not to have)

Modal Verbs + Infinitive (moći, morati, htjeti)

Infinitive vs da + Present — Introduction

sviđati se (to like) + Dative Experiencer

trebati (to need / should) — Basic

Reflexive se — Introduction (zvati se, osjećati se)

Aspect Awareness — Perfective ↔ Imperfective Pairs