The Modal-Passive "dati se"
In Croatian, the reflexive verb dati se (literally "to give oneself") is frequently used in a modal-passive sense. When followed by an infinitive, it expresses that an action is feasible—that something can be done or yields to being done.
For a singular subject (like a gear or a spring), use the third-person singular form da se. Keep in mind that the reflexive pronoun se is a clitic, so it will naturally jump to the second position in the sentence or clause.
| This gear can be replaced quickly. | Ovaj se zupčanik da brzo zamijeniti. |
Expressing Impossibility
To say that something cannot be done, resists an action, or is impossible to manipulate, simply negate the verb to form ne da se. This is incredibly useful when dealing with stubborn, intricate mechanical repairs.
| This tiny gear cannot be taken out with fingers. | Ovaj sitni zupčanik ne da se izvaditi prstima. |
Working with Tools
When describing how a mechanism can be fixed, you will often mention the tools required. Tools used to perform an action take the Instrumental case without a preposition, which usually ends in -om or -em (e.g., pincetom for "with tweezers").
| The spring can be caught with tweezers. | Opruga se da uhvatiti pincetom. |
| Without a magnifying glass, the tiny clock hand cannot be seen. | Bez povećala, sitna kazaljka ne da se vidjeti. |
Plural Subjects
Because this is a passive construction, the object receiving the action is the grammatical subject of the sentence. The verb must agree with this subject in number.
If the things that can (or cannot) be fixed are plural—such as multiple clock hands or gears—the verb changes to the third-person plural form daju se.
| The clock hands on the clock can be replaced quickly. | Kazaljke na satu daju se brzo zamijeniti. |
| With tweezers, only tiny gears can be taken out. | Pincetom se daju izvaditi samo sitni zupčanici. |
