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Croatian

### The Prefix "Za-"

The Croatian verbal prefix **za-** modifies base verbs to indicate the sudden beginning of an action, a slight deviation or interruption, or fixing something in place.

### Sudden Inception

When added to certain verbs, **za-** indicates that an action or physical reaction starts abruptly. You will often use it to describe sudden emotional or bodily responses, like bursting into tears or starting to tremble.

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### Pausing and Fixing

The prefix can express a slight interruption of a continuous action, such as coming to a brief halt during a journey. It is also used for "fixing" something permanently, like capturing and writing down a piece of information so it isn't lost.

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### Deviating and Getting Stuck

Similarly, **za-** is used to describe a deviation from an intended path. This includes wandering off course, as well as getting physically caught and stuck in an obstacle.

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### Sudden Sensations and Actions

The concept of a "sudden beginning" also applies to unexpected bodily sensations, like a sudden ache or a blush. It is also used for abrupt actions, such as a musician suddenly striking up a tune on an instrument.

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### Physical Attachment

Finally, **za-** represents physical attachment, such as hooking or catching an object onto something else. When stating what the object is attached *to*, pair the verb with the preposition **za**.

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Verbs of sudden inception and attachment (za-)

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 burst into tears	zaplakati
When the baby burst into tears, we started running.	Kada je beba zaplakala, počeli smo trčati.
Did the child burst into tears around midnight?	Je li dijete zaplakalo oko ponoći?
to start trembling	zadrhtati
I started trembling because the wind was blowing.	Zadrhtao sam jer je puhao vjetar.
Did you start trembling when you saw the bear?	Jesi li zadrhtao kada si vidio medvjeda?
to pause	zastati
We went around the lake and paused briefly.	Išli smo oko jezera i kratko zastali.
I paused where the forest begins.	Zastao sam gdje počinje šuma.
to write down	zapisati
Did you write down where the hotel is?	Jeste li zapisali gdje je hotel?
I wrote down every word he said.	Zapisao sam svaku riječ koju je rekao.
to wander off	zalutati
He wandered off into the forest around the village.	Zalutao je u šumu oko sela.
Did we wander off where the road ends?	Jesmo li zalutali gdje završava cesta?
to get stuck	zapeti
My shoe got stuck in the mud.	Cipela mi je zapela u blatu.
We got stuck where the snow is deep.	Zapeli smo tamo gdje je snijeg dubok.
to start hurting	zaboljeti
Suddenly my stomach started hurting.	Odjednom me zabolio trbuh.
Did your head start hurting around midnight?	Je li te zaboljela glava oko ponoći?
to blush	zacrvenjeti se
She blushed when he took her hand.	Zacrvenjela se kada je uzeo njezinu ruku.
Did he blush when you said that?	Je li se zacrvenio kada si to rekla?
to start playing music	zasvirati
The musician suddenly started playing the piano.	Glazbenik je odjednom zasvirao na klaviru.
When the band started playing, we started dancing.	Kada je bend zasvirao, počeli smo plesati.
to hook	zakačiti
onto (attaching to)	za
I hooked my jacket on the fence.	Zakačio sam jaknu za ogradu.
I was walking through the forest and caught my shoe on a root.	Šetao sam kroz šumu i zakačio cipelu za korijen.