Breakdown of Ovaj tramvaj je brz.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
ovaj
this (m) / ova (f), ovo (n)
brz
fast
tramvaj
tram
Questions & Answers about Ovaj tramvaj je brz.
Why is the word for 'this' ovaj instead of ova or ovo?
In Croatian, words like 'this' must match the gender of the noun they point to. Because tramvaj (tram) is a masculine noun, we use the masculine form ovaj. If we were talking about a feminine noun, we would use ova, and for a neuter noun, ovo.
How can I tell that tramvaj is a masculine noun?
A great rule of thumb for beginners is to look at the last letter of the noun. Words that end in a consonant, like the j at the end of tramvaj, are almost always masculine. Feminine nouns usually end in -a, and neuter nouns usually end in -o or -e.
Does the adjective brz (fast) also change depending on the noun?
Yes! Adjectives must also match the gender of the noun they describe, even when they come after the verb je (is). Since tramvaj is masculine, we use the masculine form brz. If we were describing a feminine noun, we would add an 'a' to the end to make it brza.
How would I make this sentence negative and say 'This tram is not fast'?
To make this sentence negative, you simply replace the positive verb je (is) with its combined negative form nije (is not). The sentence becomes Ovaj tramvaj nije brz.