Breakdown of On ima previše problema na poslu.
on
he
problem
problem
imati
to have
posao
job / work
na
on, at / to, onto (with motion) / about (thinking about)
previše
too many / too (with an adjective)
Questions & Answers about On ima previše problema na poslu.
Why does the word for problems end in -a (problema)?
Because of the word previše (too much/too many). Words expressing quantity always require the following noun to be in the genitive case, just like saying "a lot OF" in English. Since he has multiple problems, we need the genitive plural. For regular masculine nouns like problem, the genitive plural ending is -a.
Wait, isn't problema also the genitive singular form? How can we tell it is plural here?
You have a great eye! For regular masculine nouns, both the genitive singular and genitive plural end in -a and are spelled exactly the same. We know it means "problems" here entirely from the context of previše (too many). In spoken Croatian, the -a in the plural form is pronounced slightly longer, but in writing, context is your guide.
Where does the word poslu come from? The dictionary says "work" is posao.
Poslu is the locative case of posao, used here with the preposition na to show a location. The word posao has a "fleeting a"—an a in the final syllable that disappears when we add grammatical endings. The stem shrinks to posl-, and adding the masculine locative ending -u gives us poslu.
Why do we say na poslu instead of u poslu for "at work"?
In Croatian, certain locations just naturally pair with the preposition na (on/at) instead of u (in). "Work" is one of these common exceptions you simply have to memorize. You will always use na poslu to mean "at work" or "at the workplace."
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