Questions & Answers about Dječak ne pere zube.
This lesson is about reflexive verbs and the word se. Why isn't se used in this sentence?
The word se is used when the action happens to the subject itself (like washing oneself). Here, we state exactly what the boy is washing: his teeth (zube). Because there is a specific direct object, the verb pere (is washing) doesn't need the reflexive se. If he were just washing himself generally, the sentence would be Dječak se ne pere.
The translation says 'his teeth', but there is no word for 'his' in the Croatian sentence. Why?
In Croatian, when doing everyday actions to your own body parts (like brushing teeth or washing hands), you usually drop the possessive pronoun. It is simply assumed from the context that he is washing his own teeth, so adding a word for 'his' is unnecessary.
Doesn't pere mean 'washes'? Why does the English translation say 'brushing'?
That is right, pere comes from the verb prati (to wash). While English speakers 'brush' their teeth, Croatians literally 'wash' them. The phrase prati zube is the natural, standard way to say 'to brush teeth' in Croatian.
Why does the word for teeth end in -e (zube)?
Zube is the plural accusative form of the masculine noun zub (tooth). It is in the accusative case because the teeth are the direct object of the sentence—the things receiving the action of being washed. For masculine nouns, the plural accusative ending is usually -e. (The dictionary plural form, when used as a subject, is zubi).
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