The Irregular Noun Dijete
The neuter noun dijete (child) shares the exact same form in the Nominative (subject) and Accusative (direct object) cases.
| The child is throwing the baby bottle and the baby puree on the floor. | Dijete baca bočicu i kašicu na pod. |
| Either the nanny or the mother will raise the child. | Ili će dadilja ili majka odgajati dijete. |
The "-t-" Stem Expansion
For all other singular cases, dijete is highly irregular. The vowel sequence ije shortens to je, and a t is added to the end. This makes the new base stem djetet-.
| Case | Form |
|---|---|
| Nominative / Accusative | dijete |
| Genitive | djeteta |
| Dative / Locative | djetetu |
| Instrumental | djetetom |
Use the Dative/Locative form djetetu when giving something to a child, or talking about a child.
| The nanny is reading a picture book to the obedient child. | Dadilja čita slikovnicu poslušnom djetetu. |
| The teacher is talking about the obedient child. | Učitelj priča o poslušnom djetetu. |
Use the Genitive form djeteta to express origins, possession, or causes (such as with the preposition od).
| I cannot take the baby bottle from the child. | Ne mogu uzeti bočicu od djeteta. |
Finally, use the Instrumental form djetetom to talk about doing something with a child.
| We are going to the nursery with the child. | Idemo u jaslice s djetetom. |
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