Learn Croatian: Hoću kupiti nov auto. - I want to buy a new car.

Hoću kupiti nov auto.

I want to buy a new car.

Breakdown of Hoću kupiti nov auto.

to want (intent, will)

kupiti

to buy (perfective)

Questions & Answers about Hoću kupiti nov auto.

Why does this sentence use hoću instead of the short form ću?

In Croatian, short verb forms (called clitics), like ću, cannot be the first word in a sentence. Because the sentence starts with the verb "to want", we have to use the full form hoću.

Could I say Ja ću kupiti nov auto instead?

You can, because adding the pronoun Ja (I) means the verb is no longer the first word, allowing you to use the short form ću. However, Ja ću kupiti is usually used for the future tense to mean "I will buy". By using the full form hoću without Ja, the sentence keeps the strong meaning of "I want to buy".

Since auto ends in -o, doesn't that make it a neuter noun?

Normally, nouns ending in -o or -e are neuter, but auto is a very common exception! It is actually a masculine noun. Because a car is an inanimate object (a thing, not a living being), its accusative form—used here because it is the direct object being bought—stays exactly the same as its dictionary form.

Why is the adjective nov (new) used here instead of novi?