The genitive case frequently translates to the English word "of" to express quantities (a piece of paper) or possession (the owner of the hotel).
Forming the Genitive
In the singular, masculine and neuter nouns share the genitive ending -a.
- Masculine nouns (usually ending in a consonant): Add -a. (papir → papira, hotel → hotela)
- Neuter nouns (usually ending in -o or -e): Replace the final vowel with -a. (vino → vina, more → mora)
Expressing Quantity
Use the genitive case for the substance being measured or contained.
| I need a piece of paper. | Trebam komad papira. |
| This is a bottle of wine. | Ovo je boca vina. |
| There is a cup of milk on the table. | Na stolu je šalica mlijeka. |
Possession and Relationships
To show possession or association, Croatian doesn't use a preposition. The noun showing ownership simply takes the genitive case and follows the main noun, mirroring the English "of" word order.
| Do you know the price of the car? | Znaš li cijenu automobila? |
| The owner of the apartment is here. | Vlasnik stana je ovdje. |
| I love the smell of the sea. | Volim miris mora. |
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