Questions & Answers about U hotelu ima pedeset ljudi.
Why does the sentence use ima when the English translation says 'there are'?
In Croatian, the verb imati (to have) is often used to mean 'there is' or 'there are'. When used this way, it doesn't change based on how many things or people there are. You always use the singular form ima, even when talking about fifty people.
How are the 'tens' like pedeset formed in Croatian?
Most 'tens' are formed by combining the base number with the word for ten (deset). Here, pet (five) and deset combine to make pedeset. You'll see the exact same pattern in words like šezdeset (sixty) or sedamdeset (seventy).
What case is the word ljudi (people) in, and why?
Ljudi is in the genitive plural case. A very important rule in Croatian is that all numbers from 5 onwards (including pedeset) must be followed by a noun in the genitive plural. The rules for 1, 2, 3, and 4 are completely different!
Why does the word hotel have a -u at the end?
The noun is in the locative case. The preposition u (in) requires the locative case when you are describing a static location, like simply being located inside a hotel.