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Croatian

When explaining why you are doing something, Croatian uses two different prepositions depending on whether you are motivated by a future goal or an existing cause. Both prepositions require the **genitive case**.

### Acting for a purpose (radi)

When you do something with a specific goal in mind, use the preposition **radi** (for the purpose of, for the sake of). This looks forward to a desired outcome.

Feminine nouns like *kondicija* (fitness) take an **-e** ending in the genitive (*kondicije*). Masculine nouns like *pregled* (check-up) and *oporavak* (recovery) take an **-a** ending (*pregleda*, *oporavka*).

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### Acting because of a cause (zbog)

When you do something because of an existing condition or a past event, use the preposition **zbog** (because of, due to). This looks backward at the root cause that forces or prompts the action.

Notice how the masculine noun *kašalj* drops its final **-a-** in the genitive to become *kašlja*. The masculine noun *tlak* (blood pressure) adds **-a** (*tlaka*), and the feminine noun *operacija* ends in **-e** (*operacije*).

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### Comparing purpose and reason

To summarize: use **radi** for your goal, and **zbog** for the cause. Compare these two sentences about whether someone is allowed to move (*kretati se*):

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Purpose versus reason (radi, zbog)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

prep

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Singular pronouns and to be (sam, si, je)

Noun genders (-Ø, -a, -o/-e)

Demonstrative pronouns (ovaj, ova, ovo)

Plural pronouns and to be (smo, ste, su)

Masculine plural nouns (-i)

Feminine plural nouns (-e)

Neuter plural nouns (-a)

Full verb to be (jesam, jesi)

Negative verb to be (nisam, nisi)

Yes/no questions (je li)

Wh- questions (tko, gdje)

Formal vs informal address (ti vs Vi)

Regular present tense (-ati)

Regular present tense (-iti)

Regular present tense (-jeti)

Verb negation (ne)

The verb to have (imati / nemati)

Inanimate direct objects

Feminine direct objects (-u)

Plural direct objects (-e, -a)

Accusative pronouns (me, te, ga, ju)

Adjective agreement

Plural adjectives

Accusative adjectives

Numbers 1 to 10 (jedan, dva, tri)

The locative case (-u)

Feminine locative (-i)

The verb to go (ići)

Destination (u, na)

The genitive case (-a)

Accusative pronouns (nas, vas, ga, ih)

Animate masculine accusative (-a)

Adjective agreement for animate masculine (-og, -eg)

The verb can (moći)

The verb must (morati)

The verb to want (htjeti, hoću)

The future tense (ću/ćeš + infinitive)

The past tense: l-participle (radio, radila)

Past tense word order (Prvo sam radio...)

Past tense with plural subjects (-li, -le, -la)

Feminine genitive singular (-e)

Possession and origin (od, iz)

Negative existence (nema)

Numbers 2, 3, and 4

Genitive plural (-a)

Numbers 11 to 20

Past tense negation (nisam)

Past tense questions (jeste li)

Dative singular

Dative pronouns (ti, mu, joj)

Past tense negation (nisam, nisi...)

Double object pronouns (mu ga, ti ju...)

Reflexive verbs (se)

Reflexive clitic word order

Commands and requests (radi, radite)

Plural demonstratives (ovi, ove, ova)

Possessive determiners (moj, naš, njegov)

Greetings (Dobar dan, doviđenja)

The body: Boli me glava

Directions (lijevo, desno, ravno)

There is, there are (ima)

Politeness (molim vas, hvala lijepa)

How you feel (Sviđa mi se)

Counting by tens to 100 (trideset, četrdeset...)

Quantifiers with the genitive case (malo, puno...)

Adjective agreement in the genitive singular (-og, -e)

Adjective agreement in the genitive plural (-ih)

Genitive prepositions (kod, do, bez...)

Asking what kind and which (kakav, koji)

Possessive determiners (njegov, njezin...)

Possessives in the accusative case

The reflexive possessive (svoj)

Indefinite pronouns (netko, nešto, neki)

Negative pronouns (nitko, ništa)

The verb to need (trebati)

Reciprocal verbs (se)

Introduction to verbal aspect

Perfective verbs with prefixes

Perfective verbs with stem changes

Irregular perfective verbs

Aspect in the past tense

Aspect in the future tense

Vehicular motion (voziti se, putovati)

Arrival and departure ('doći', 'otići')

Entering and exiting ('ući', 'izaći')

Singular accompaniment ('s', 'sa')

Question	Answer
to move (to be in motion)	kretati se
for the sake of	radi
fitness	kondicija
We have to move more for the sake of fitness.	Moramo se više kretati radi kondicije.
check-up	pregled
cough	kašalj
Did he go to the check-up because of a cough?	Je li išao na pregled zbog kašlja?
heart	srce
She is in the hospital for a heart check-up.	U bolnici je radi pregleda srca.
to avoid	izbjegavati
blood pressure / pressure (physical)	tlak
I think that he avoids salt because of blood pressure.	Mislim da izbjegava sol zbog tlaka.
recovery	oporavak
He stayed in bed for the sake of recovery.	Ostao je u krevetu radi oporavka.
surgery	operacija
He couldn't work because of the heart surgery.	Nije mogao raditi zbog operacije srca.
Did you avoid coffee because of blood pressure?	Jeste li izbjegavali kavu zbog tlaka?
I am not allowed to move a lot because of a strong cough.	Ne smijem se puno kretati zbog jakog kašlja.
The doctor says that I have to move for the sake of recovery.	Liječnik kaže da se moram kretati radi oporavka.
She drinks water for the sake of fitness and avoids alcohol.	Pije vodu radi kondicije i izbjegava alkohol.
Did they cancel the surgery because of something?	Jesu li otkazali operaciju zbog nečega?
I came here only for a check-up.	Došao sam ovdje samo radi pregleda.