How to Use Adjectives: Agreement and Placement in Croatian

Understanding Adjective Agreement in Croatian

In Croatian, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe in gender, number, and case. This means that the ending of the adjective changes depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter, singular or plural, and which grammatical case is used.

Gender Agreement

Croatian has three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Adjectives change their endings to match the gender of the noun they modify. For example, the adjective for "big" is velik in masculine, velika in feminine, and veliko in neuter.

Number Agreement

Adjectives also change depending on whether the noun is singular or plural. For example, velik (masculine singular) becomes veliki in masculine plural.

Case Agreement

Croatian has seven cases, and adjectives change their endings to reflect the case of the noun. For example, the nominative masculine singular form of "big" is velik, but in the genitive masculine singular it becomes velikog.

Placement of Adjectives in Croatian Sentences

Unlike English, where adjectives usually come before the noun, Croatian adjectives typically precede the noun they describe. For example, "a big house" is velika kuća in Croatian, with velika (big) placed before kuća (house).

Exceptions and Emphasis

Sometimes, adjectives can come after the noun for emphasis or poetic effect, but this is less common in everyday speech.

Examples of Adjective Agreement and Placement

Tips for English Speakers Learning Croatian Adjectives

• Always identify the gender, number, and case of the noun first.
• Learn adjective endings for each gender and case.
• Practice by matching adjectives with nouns in sentences.
• Remember that adjective placement is usually before the noun.
• Use resources and exercises to reinforce agreement rules.