Questions & Answers about Imamo puno različitih proizvoda.
Why do we use the genitive case for različitih proizvoda?
The word puno (a lot, many) expresses a quantity. In Croatian, quantity words always force the noun and its adjectives into the genitive case. Since we are talking about multiple products, we use the genitive plural.
What is the rule for the adjective ending in različitih?
In the genitive plural, adjectives always take the ending -ih. The great news for learners is that this -ih ending is exactly the same for all three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter). So the base word različit (different) simply becomes različitih.
The noun proizvoda looks exactly like the genitive singular. How do I know it is plural?
You are right! For regular masculine nouns ending in a consonant, like proizvod, the genitive singular and genitive plural are spelled the same way: proizvoda. When reading, you can tell it is plural because of the adjective ending in -ih right before it. When speaking, native speakers stretch out the final vowel to show it is plural.
The verb imamo usually takes the accusative case. Why isn't the object in the accusative here?
It is true that imamo (we have) normally needs a direct object in the accusative. However, when you add a quantity word like puno (a lot), that quantity word takes over the grammar rules. The rule for puno requiring the genitive overrides the verb's usual need for the accusative.