Smatrati ("to consider / to regard / to deem") is the verb for stating a considered judgement — what you hold to be the case, or what status you assign to someone or something. Its signature is a double-object frame English handles with "consider X (to be) Y": Smatram ga prijateljem — "I consider him a friend". The person you judge goes in the accusative (ga), and the role you assign goes in the instrumental (prijateljem). That accusative-plus-instrumental pattern is exactly the predicate instrumental you already meet with postati ("become") and biti in elevated style — so learning smatrati reinforces a core Croatian construction. This page is the individual paradigm; for how smatrati sits among misliti, držati and the other opinion verbs, see opinion verbs.
Aspect
| Verb | Aspect | Present 1sg | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| smatrati | imperfective | smatram | "I consider / hold (the view)" — a standing opinion |
Smatrati is imperfective and, for practical purposes, unpaired: holding an opinion is a state, and states are imperfective. A clean perfective "to come to consider" is not part of everyday usage — when you need the onset of an opinion you reach for a different verb (zaključiti "to conclude", shvatiti "to realise"). So treat smatrati as a one-aspect opinion verb; you will use it almost entirely in the present and the imperfect past.
Present tense
A regular a-class verb (stem smatra-); all six persons are in normal use, since anyone can hold a view.
| Person | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ja | smatram | I consider |
| ti | smatraš | you consider |
| on/ona/ono | smatra | he/she/it considers |
| mi | smatramo | we consider |
| vi | smatrate | you (pl.) consider |
| oni/one/ona | smatraju | they consider |
Smatram ga jednim od najboljih trenera u ligi.
I consider him one of the best coaches in the league. — accusative 'ga' + instrumental head 'jednim' (then 'od najboljih trenera' in the genitive).
Mnogi je smatraju najtalentiranijom glumicom svoje generacije.
Many consider her the most talented actress of her generation. — accusative 'je' + instrumental 'glumicom'.
The l-participle
Regular a-class. Agrees with the subject (the one doing the considering).
| Gender / number | Form |
|---|---|
| masculine singular | smatrao |
| feminine singular | smatrala |
| neuter singular | smatralo |
| masculine plural | smatrali |
| feminine plural | smatrale |
| neuter plural | smatrala |
Perfect tense (perfekt)
Clitic biti + l-participle — for a view held in the past (often one since revised).
| Person | Masculine subject | Feminine subject |
|---|---|---|
| ja | smatrao sam | smatrala sam |
| ti | smatrao si | smatrala si |
| on / ona | smatrao je | smatrala je |
| mi | smatrali smo | smatrale smo |
| vi | smatrali ste | smatrale ste |
| oni / one | smatrali su | smatrale su |
Dugo sam ga smatrao prijateljem, dok se nije pokazalo drukčije.
For a long time I considered him a friend, until it turned out otherwise. — accusative 'ga' + instrumental 'prijateljem' in the past.
Future I (futur prvi)
The infinitive drops -i before the clitic: smatrati → smatrat ću. Spelling: smatrat ću, never smatrati ću. (Used mainly in commitments: "I will regard it as…".)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ja | smatrat ću |
| ti | smatrat ćeš |
| on/ona/ono | smatrat će |
| mi | smatrat ćemo |
| vi | smatrat ćete |
| oni/one/ona | smatrat će |
Ako ne odgovorite do petka, smatrat ćemo da niste zainteresirani.
If you don't reply by Friday, we'll consider that you're not interested. — future + da-clause (formal/administrative register).
Imperative
The imperative (smatraj, smatrajmo, smatrajte) is used in the sense "regard / treat (it) as": Smatraj to gotovim ("consider it done"). It is somewhat formal or emphatic.
Smatraj to riješenim, javit ću se ja njima.
Consider that sorted, I'll contact them. — imperative + instrumental predicate 'riješenim'.
Conditional I (kondicional prvi)
The bih-clitics + l-participle — for softened judgements ("I would consider…").
Smatrao bih to velikom pogreškom.
I'd consider that a big mistake. — conditional + instrumental 'velikom pogreškom'.
Other forms
- Passive participle: smatran, smatrana, smatrano ("considered / regarded"), used in the passive: Smatra se najvećim hrvatskim pjesnikom ("he is considered the greatest Croatian poet"). The se-passive smatra se
- instrumental is extremely common in formal and journalistic prose.
- Verbal adverb (present): smatrajući ("considering / deeming"), usable in writing.
Roman se danas smatra remek-djelom hrvatske moderne.
The novel is today considered a masterpiece of Croatian Modernism. — se-passive 'smatra se' + instrumental 'remek-djelom'.
Key uses and government
1. accusative + INSTRUMENTAL — "consider X (to be) Y" (the signature)
The core frame is smatrati + [accusative] + [instrumental]: the entity you judge in the accusative, the role/quality you assign in the instrumental. There is no "to be" — the instrumental is the predicate. Smatram ga prijateljem = "I consider him [to be] a friend". This is the same predicate instrumental as after postati ("become") — see postati — and after biti in elevated style. Review the endings at instrumental forms and the accusative object at the accusative direct object.
Smatram tu odluku velikom greškom.
I consider that decision a big mistake. — accusative 'tu odluku' + instrumental 'velikom greškom'.
Sve nas smatra odgovornima za propust.
He considers us all responsible for the oversight. — accusative 'sve nas' + instrumental adjective 'odgovornima'.
2. za + accusative — the alternative predicate
A common alternative to the instrumental is za + accusative: Smatram ga za prijatelja. Both are correct; the bare instrumental is the more elevated/written choice, while za + accusative is widespread in speech. Don't mix them — it is either the instrumental or za + accusative, never both.
Smatraju ga za stručnjaka u tom području.
They regard him as an expert in that field. — the 'za' + accusative alternative 'za stručnjaka'.
3. da-clause — "I consider that / I'm of the view that…"
When the judgement is a full proposition rather than a label, use smatrati + da-clause: Smatram da… ("I'm of the view that…"). This is the formal cousin of mislim da ("I think that"). The da-clause takes the indicative. On choosing a da-clause over an infinitive, see da vs the infinitive.
Smatram da bismo trebali odgoditi sastanak.
I'm of the view that we should postpone the meeting. — 'smatram da' + clause, more formal than 'mislim da'.
Smatramo da je prijedlog neprihvatljiv.
We consider the proposal unacceptable. — da-clause, official register.
4. Register and place among the opinion verbs
Smatrati is more formal and considered than misliti ("to think"): you smatraš a settled judgement, you misliš a passing thought. It overlaps with držati (in držati nekoga + instrumental, also "to hold someone to be…"), which is more literary. Use smatrati for opinions you would defend in writing or argument. The three are contrasted in full — without duplication here — at opinion verbs. For the wider question of which case a verb governs, see verb government.
Mislim da je dobar čovjek, ali ga ne smatram pouzdanim.
I think he's a good man, but I don't consider him reliable. — 'mislim da' (passing thought) vs 'smatram… pouzdanim' (considered verdict + instrumental).
Common Mistakes
❌ Smatram ga prijatelj.
Wrong case for the predicate — the role assigned goes in the instrumental: 'prijateljem' (or 'za prijatelja').
✅ Smatram ga prijateljem.
I consider him a friend.
❌ Smatram da on prijateljem.
Don't combine 'da' with the instrumental predicate — either 'Smatram da je on prijatelj' (da-clause) or 'Smatram ga prijateljem' (double object).
✅ Smatram ga prijateljem.
I consider him a friend.
❌ Smatram ga za prijateljem.
Don't mix the two frames — it's either 'za prijatelja' (za + accusative) or 'prijateljem' (instrumental), not both.
✅ Smatram ga za prijatelja.
I regard him as a friend.
❌ Smatram on da je u pravu.
Wrong structure — for a full proposition use a bare da-clause: 'Smatram da je u pravu' (no extra pronoun).
✅ Smatram da je u pravu.
I consider that he's right.
❌ Smatrati ćemo to greškom.
Spelling — the infinitive drops '-i' before the future clitic: 'smatrat ćemo'.
✅ Smatrat ćemo to greškom.
We'll consider that a mistake.
Key Takeaways
- Smatrati (impf, smatram) = "to consider / regard / deem" — a considered judgement; effectively unpaired (no everyday perfective).
- Signature frame: accusative + INSTRUMENTAL — Smatram ga prijateljem ("I consider him a friend"), the same predicate instrumental as after postati.
- Alternatives: za + accusative (smatram ga za prijatelja) and a da-clause (smatram da…) for a full proposition. Never combine the frames.
- The se-passive smatra se
- instrumental ("is considered…") is standard in formal/journalistic prose.
- More formal than misliti; for the misliti/smatrati/držati contrast see the opinion-verbs page. Future drops -i: smatrat ću.
Now practice Croatian
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Croatian→Related Topics
- misliti / smatrati / držati (to think / consider)B1 — Opinion verbs.
- postajati / postati (to become)A2 — Becoming — a verb whose result-predicate goes in the instrumental or the nominative.
- Instrumental: FormsA2 — Instrumental endings across declensions.
- Accusative: The Direct ObjectA1 — The accusative as the default object of transitive verbs.
- da + present vs the InfinitiveB1 — When to use the infinitive and when to use a da + present clause after modal and volition verbs — the same-subject choice, the different-subject rule, and the register split.
- Verb Government: Which Case After Which VerbB1 — How verbs demand specific cases and prepositions for their objects.