Breakdown of Izvoli, kava je topla.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
kava
coffee
topao
warm
izvoli
here you are (informal)
Questions & Answers about Izvoli, kava je topla.
When exactly do I use Izvoli?
Izvoli is a common word used when handing something to someone, exactly like saying 'Here you go' or 'Here you are' in English. It is the informal form used when talking to one person. If you are handing the coffee to a group of people or someone you speak to formally, you would use Izvolite instead.
Why is the word for warm topla instead of topal?
In Croatian, adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because kava (coffee) ends in -a and is a feminine noun, the basic masculine form of the adjective topal (warm) changes to its feminine form, topla.
Could I change the word order and say kava topla je?
No, that word order is incorrect. The word je (is) is a 'clitic', which is a small, unstressed word that has strict placement rules. It generally must be in the second position of its sentence or clause, which is why it comes immediately after kava here.
If I wanted to say 'Here you are, the tea is warm', how would this change?
The word for tea is čaj, which is a masculine noun because it ends in a consonant. To match it, the adjective must also be masculine. You would say: Izvoli, čaj je topal.