Breakdown of Ova jakna je od kože.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
ovaj
this (m) / ova (f), ovo (n)
jakna
jacket
od
from
koža
leather
Questions & Answers about Ova jakna je od kože.
Why does the word koža change to kože in this sentence?
Because it comes after the preposition od (of/from). The preposition od always requires the following noun to be in the Genitive case. For most feminine nouns like koža, the ending changes from -a to -e in the Genitive case, making it kože.
Is there a specific verb for "made of" in Croatian?
No, you simply use the verb biti (to be) followed by the preposition od and the material in the Genitive case. In Croatian, you literally say that a jacket is "from leather" (od kože).
Why do we use ova instead of ovo or ovaj for "this"?
Because pointing words like "this" must match the gender of the noun they describe. The noun jakna (jacket) ends in -a, meaning it is feminine. Therefore, you must use the feminine form ova. If the noun were masculine, you would use ovaj, and if it were neuter, you would use ovo.
I thought koža meant "skin". Does it also mean "leather"?
Yes, it means both! In Croatian, the word koža is used for human or animal skin, as well as the material "leather". The context of the sentence makes it completely clear which one you mean, since jackets are not usually made of human skin.
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