predlagati / predložiti (to suggest, to propose) | Croatian Grammar

Predložiti ("to suggest, to propose") is the verb you reach for in meetings, plans, and decisions, and it carries a three-way government pattern that English collapses into one: you propose a thing (accusative), you propose it to someone (dative), and above all you propose that something happen (a da-clause). The aspect pair pits the imperfective predlagati — present predlažem, with the consonant alternation g → ž — against the perfective predložiti (predložim). Master the da-clause and you have the natural Croatian way to say "I suggest we go", "I propose we wait", "let me suggest a different approach".

Aspect

Verb	Aspect	Present 1sg	Typical use
predlagati	imperfective	predlažem	repeatedly proposing; the activity of suggesting; a standing proposal
predložiti	perfective	predložim	one completed act of proposing a specific thing

The pair splits along the usual line. Predložiti is one finished proposal: I put forward this plan, done. Predlagati is the activity or the habit: I keep suggesting things, I am (in the middle of) proposing, this is what I regularly do at meetings. So "I proposed a new deadline" is predložio sam, while "I'm always proposing things nobody wants" is stalno predlažem. This is a suffixal aspect pair — see forming aspect pairs by suffixation.

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Watch the stem consonant: the imperfective present is predlažem (g → ž), not *predlagam. The perfective keeps ž too in its passive participle — predložen. The infinitives are the giveaway: predlagati (impf) vs predložiti (pf).

Present tense

Predložiti is a regular i-class verb; predlagati takes the g → ž alternation throughout the present.

Person	predlagati (impf)	predložiti (pf)
ja	predlažem	predložim
ti	predlažeš	predložiš
on/ona/ono	predlaže	predloži
mi	predlažemo	predložimo
vi	predlažete	predložite
oni/one/ona	predlažu	predlože

As always with perfectives, predložim is not a "right now" present: Čim predložim rješenje, javim ti ("As soon as I propose a solution, I'll let you know"). For the act in progress you need predlažem.

Predlažem da krenemo odmah, prije gužve.

I suggest we set off right away, before the crowds — imperfective present + da-clause.

Na svakom sastanku predlaže nešto novo.

At every meeting he suggests something new — habitual, imperfective.

The l-participle

Both are regular: predložiti → predložio, predlagati → predlagao (with vocalised -l).

Gender / number	predložiti	predlagati
masculine singular	predložio	predlagao
feminine singular	predložila	predlagala
neuter singular	predložilo	predlagalo
masculine plural	predložili	predlagali
feminine plural	predložile	predlagale
neuter plural	predložila	predlagala

Perfect tense (perfekt)

Clitic biti + l-participle. The everyday "I suggested / I proposed" is the perfective predložio sam; the imperfective predlagao sam marks a habit or ongoing past activity ("I kept proposing / I was proposing").

Person	Masculine subject	Feminine subject
ja	predložio sam	predložila sam
ti	predložio si	predložila si
on / ona	predložio je	predložila je
mi	predložili smo	predložile smo
vi	predložili ste	predložile ste
oni / one	predložili su	predložile su

Predložio sam mu novi plan, ali još razmišlja.

I proposed a new plan to him, but he's still thinking it over — perfective + dative 'mu' + accusative 'plan'.

Tijekom pregovora predlagali smo razna rješenja.

During the negotiations we kept proposing various solutions — imperfective, repeated past activity.

Future I (futur prvi)

Predložiti → predložit ću (drops -i); predlagati → predlagat ću.

Person	predložiti	predlagati
ja	predložit ću	predlagat ću
ti	predložit ćeš	predlagat ćeš
on/ona/ono	predložit će	predlagat će
mi	predložit ćemo	predlagat ćemo
vi	predložit ćete	predlagat ćete
oni/one/ona	predložit će	predlagat će

Predložit ću na sastanku da pomaknemo rok.

I'll propose at the meeting that we push back the deadline.

Imperative

The perfective predloži! is the normal "make a suggestion (now)"; the imperfective predlaži! leans toward "keep suggesting / go ahead and propose".

Person	predložiti (pf)	predlagati (impf)
ti	predloži	predlaži
mi	predložimo	predlažimo
vi	predložite	predlažite

Predloži nešto, ne moraš stalno čekati druge.

Suggest something, you don't always have to wait for others — perfective imperative.

Conditional I (kondicional prvi)

bih-clitics + l-participle — the polite, tentative way to float a proposal, very common with this verb.

Person	predložiti (masc.)
ja	predložio bih
ti	predložio bi
on/ona/ono	predložio/predložila/predložilo bi
mi	predložili bismo
vi	predložili biste
oni/one/ona	predložili bi

Predložio bih da pričekamo još koji dan.

I'd suggest we wait a few more days — tentative, polite proposal.

Other forms

Passive participle: predložen, predložena, predloženo ("proposed, nominated"). Note that the perfective keeps the ž of the infinitive stem here — predložen, not predlagan. It is everywhere in formal and institutional language: Predložen je za nagradu ("He was nominated for an award"), predloženi proračun ("the proposed budget"). The imperfective gives predlagan ("being proposed").
Verbal noun: predlaganje (the activity of proposing) and the very frequent noun prijedlog ("a proposal, a suggestion; a motion"): Imam jedan prijedlog ("I have a suggestion").
Verbal adverb: imperfective predlažući ("[while] proposing"). Perfectives have no present adverb.

Predložen je za ravnatelja, ali odbor još nije odlučio.

He's been nominated for director, but the board hasn't decided yet — passive participle 'predložen' (formal).

Key uses and government

1. The thing proposed: accusative

The basic object — what you propose — is the accusative.

Predložili smo potpuno drukčiji raspored.

We proposed a completely different schedule — accusative direct object.

2. The person you propose it to: dative

The addressee of the proposal goes in the bare dative — no preposition, where English uses "to". The natural order is predložiti + dative person + accusative thing (or da-clause). This is the dative of the person addressed; see the dative with verbs.

Predložila sam šefici fleksibilno radno vrijeme.

I proposed flexible working hours to my boss — dative 'šefici', no preposition.

Što da im predložimo za sljedeću godinu?

What should we propose to them for next year? — dative 'im'.

3. The headline: predložiti + da-clause ("suggest that…")

By far the most common pattern is predložiti / predlagati + da + clause, used whenever you propose that an action take place. English wobbles between "I suggest we go", "I suggest going", and "I suggest that we should go"; Croatian uses one tidy structure: da + a finite verb. The verb after da is normally present tense even for future plans (Predlažem da odemo "I suggest we go"), because Croatian uses the da-present to express the proposed action. There is no infinitive option here the way there is after some other verbs — see da vs the infinitive.

Predlažem da odemo na more ovog vikenda.

I suggest we go to the coast this weekend — predlagati + da + present 'odemo'.

Predlažem da pričekamo rezultate prije nego što odlučimo.

I propose we wait for the results before we decide.

Predložili su nam da potpišemo ugovor odmah.

They suggested to us that we sign the contract right away — dative 'nam' + da-clause.

4. Contrast with savjetovati ("advise")

Predložiti and savjetovati ("to advise") sit close together but differ in force and in government. Predložiti puts an option on the table for someone to accept or reject; savjetovati tells someone what you think they should do. Crucially, predložiti governs the dative of the person and an accusative thing, while savjetovati governs the dative of the person but normally a da-clause rather than an accusative thing. Compare Predložio sam mu plan ("I proposed a plan to him") with Savjetovao sam mu da ode ("I advised him to leave"). See savjetovati.

Ne namećem ti ništa — samo predlažem, odluka je tvoja.

I'm not forcing anything on you — I'm only suggesting, the decision is yours.

Common Mistakes

❌ Predlagam da krenemo.

Wrong stem — the imperfective present takes g → ž: 'predlažem', not '*predlagam'.

✅ Predlažem da krenemo.

I suggest we set off.

❌ Predložio sam ga novi plan.

Case error — the person is dative ('mu'), not accusative; the thing is accusative ('plan').

✅ Predložio sam mu novi plan.

I proposed a new plan to him.

❌ Predlažem ići na more.

Wrong complement — propose an action with a da-clause, not a bare infinitive: 'da odemo'.

✅ Predlažem da odemo na more.

I suggest we go to the coast.

❌ Predloženi za nagradu, glumac je bio sretan.

Wrong form — the participle here should agree and read 'Predložen za nagradu' (masc. sg.), not the plural/definite '-i'.

✅ Predložen za nagradu, glumac je bio sretan.

Nominated for an award, the actor was happy.

❌ Predložiti ću to na sastanku.

Future spelling — the infinitive drops -i before the clitic: 'predložit ću', not '*predložiti ću'.

✅ Predložit ću to na sastanku.

I'll propose that at the meeting.

Key Takeaways

predlagati (impf, predlažem, note g → ž) = the activity/habit of proposing; predložiti (pf, predložim, predložio) = one completed proposal.
Government: accusative thing
- dative person, and above all da + clause for proposing an action — Predlažem da odemo.
The da-verb is normally present tense even for future plans; there is no bare-infinitive option.
Passive participle predložen ("proposed, nominated"); the noun prijedlog = "a proposal". Future: predložit ću (never predložiti ću).
Distinguish from savjetovati ("advise"): proposing offers an option, advising recommends a course of action.

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