Word
On ima auto, a ovdje nema goriva.
Meaning
He has a car, but there is no fuel here.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about On ima auto, a ovdje nema goriva.
Why is the word for fuel goriva instead of gorivo?
Because it follows the word nema when used to mean there is no. In Croatian, when you state that there is no or there isn't any of something, the missing thing must be in the genitive case. The base word is the neuter noun gorivo, and its genitive form changes the ending to -a, making it goriva.
I thought nema meant he or she doesn't have. Why does it translate to there is no here?
The verb nemati usually means to not have. For example, if you said on nema, it would mean he doesn't have. However, when nema is used impersonally (without a specific subject like he, she, or it), it translates to there is no or there isn't any.
Why does the sentence use a instead of ali for but?
Both a and ali can translate to but, but they are used differently. Ali is used for strong, direct contradictions. A is a softer contrast, often acting as a bridge between and and but. It is used here to contrast two related facts: he has a car, but on the other hand, there is no fuel.
Why doesn't the word auto change its ending, since it is the object of the verb ima?