Questions & Answers about Ne vidim bivšeg vlasnika.
Why does the word for "owner" change from vlasnik to vlasnika?
Because it is the direct object of the verb vidim (I see), it must be in the accusative case. For masculine nouns that represent living beings (animate nouns), the accusative case adds the ending -a. If the word referred to an inanimate object, it would not change from its dictionary form.
Why does the adjective for "former" end in -eg (bivšeg)?
Adjectives must match their noun's case, gender, and whether it is alive (animate). Since vlasnika is an animate masculine noun in the accusative case, the adjective bivši must match it. Most animate masculine adjectives take an -og ending, but because bivši has a "soft" consonant (š) right before the ending, it takes -eg instead.
Why isn't there a word for "I" in the Croatian sentence?
Croatian is a language where you can usually drop subject pronouns like ja (I). The verb vidim already has the -m ending, which clearly means "I see". Adding ja is only done if you want to emphasize that I do not see him, even if someone else might.
Does the negative word ne always come right before the verb?
Yes, for standard verbs, you make them negative by placing the word ne immediately before the verb, just like in ne vidim (I do not see). They are written as two separate words.