Expressing the Habitual Past
In Croatian, the verb znati usually means "to know". However, when used in the past tense and followed by another verb in the infinitive, it takes on a completely different meaning: it expresses a habitual action in the past. This is the direct equivalent of saying "used to" or "would do something" in English.
Because znati is used in the past tense here, its active past participle must agree with the subject in gender and number, just like any other past tense verb. For a masculine singular subject, you will use znao je.
For a masculine plural subject, the form changes to agree with the plural, becoming znali su.
Agreement with Feminine Subjects
The pattern continues predictably for feminine subjects. A feminine singular noun takes znala je, while a feminine plural noun takes znale su. Let's see this in action while exploring some vocabulary related to village traditions and folklore.
Using Collective Nouns (Mnoštvo)
When talking about traditions, you might refer to large groups of people using the word mnoštvo (a multitude or a crowd).
Grammatically, mnoštvo is a neuter singular noun. Even when it is followed by a plural noun (like "a multitude of women" or "a multitude of peasants"), the verb must still agree with the neuter singular mnoštvo. Therefore, the correct past tense form is always znalo je.
Traditions and Inanimate Subjects
This habitual construction is not limited to people. Inanimate subjects, such as abstract concepts or traditions, can also "habitually" do things. The verb agreement rules remain exactly the same. Notice how the feminine singular noun predaja (lore) takes znala je.