Adjectives and the Genitive Case
In Croatian, most adjectives simply modify a noun and match it in case, gender, and number. However, some adjectives act similarly to verbs and require an "object" to complete their meaning. When these adjectives express abstract concepts like psychological states, desires, or awareness, they require the noun phrase that follows them to be in the Genitive case.
Two common examples are željan (eager for) and svjestan (aware of).
| They are ambitious and eager for new qualifications. | Ambiciozni su i željni novih kvalifikacija. |
| We are aware of her competences. | Svjesni smo njezinih kompetencija. |
Evaluating Worth and Merit
Adjectives used to evaluate worth, merit, or deservingness also subcategorize for the genitive case. This is especially useful during a rigorous job interview process or performance review. Key adjectives include dostojan (worthy) and vrijedan (worth / worthy of).
| Is she worthy of this employment? | Je li dostojna ovog zaposlenja? |
| The new employment is worthy of great effort. | Novo zaposlenje vrijedno je velikog truda. |
Expressing Excess or Lack
Finally, adjectives that express having an excess of something or lacking something entirely will also take a genitive object. Common examples include sit (fed up with / literally "full of") and lišen (devoid of).
| The director is fed up with bad evaluations. | Direktor je sit loših evaluacija. |
| The dynamic team is not devoid of good ideas. | Dinamičan tim nije lišen dobrih ideja. |