Questions & Answers about Čitaš li moj članak?
Why doesn't the possessive word moj change its ending here since it is the object of the verb?
It actually is in the accusative case, but it looks exactly like the dictionary form. This is because the noun it describes, članak (article), is masculine and inanimate (a non-living thing). In Croatian, possessives for non-living masculine nouns don't add special endings in the accusative case.
What if the object was a living masculine noun? How would the possessive change?
If the masculine noun is alive (animate), both the noun and the possessive word change their endings in the accusative case. For example, if you said 'Are you reading my brother?', it would be Čitaš li mojeg brata? Notice how moj changes to mojeg (or mog) to agree with the living object.
Is the noun članak in the accusative case here too?
Yes! Even though it looks just like the nominative (dictionary) form, it is the direct object of the verb čitati (to read), so it is in the accusative case. Just like the word moj, inanimate masculine nouns don't change their spelling in the accusative.
Why does the question particle li come right after the verb Čitaš?
In Croatian, li is a 'clitic', meaning it is a short, unstressed word that cannot start a sentence and naturally falls into the second position. When making a yes/no question by putting the verb first, li always tucks in immediately after it.
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