Breakdown of On jede previše maslaca.
on
he
jesti
to eat
previše
too many / too (with an adjective)
maslac
butter
Questions & Answers about On jede previše maslaca.
Why does this sentence use the genitive form maslaca instead of the accusative for the direct object?
Because of the word previše (too much). When you use indefinite quantifiers like malo, puno, or previše, the noun that follows must be in the genitive case. The dictionary form is maslac (masculine), so it takes the regular genitive ending -a to become maslaca.
How is the word previše formed?
It comes from the word više (more). Adding the prefix pre- to an adjective or adverb in Croatian often adds the meaning of "too" or "over." So, pre- plus više gives you previše, meaning "too much" or "too many."
What is the infinitive (dictionary form) of the verb jede?
The infinitive is jesti (to eat). It is an irregular verb that you likely saw early on. Its stem changes to jed- in the present tense, which is why "he eats" is on jede.
Does previše work for both "too much" and "too many"?
Yes! In English we use "too much" for uncountable things (like butter) and "too many" for countable things (like apples). In Croatian, you use previše for both. Just remember to use the genitive singular for uncountable nouns (previše maslaca) and the genitive plural for countable ones (previše jabuka).
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