Questions & Answers about Ovdje nitko ništa ne čuje.
Why are there three negative words (nitko, ništa, ne) in this sentence?
Croatian requires mandatory multiple negation. Whenever you use a negative pronoun like nitko (nobody) or ništa (nothing), the verb must also be negated. Here we have two negative pronouns and a negative verb (ne čuje), which literally translates to "Here nobody nothing doesn't hear." (Ovdje nitko ništa ne čuje.)
Why is ništa translated as "anything" instead of "nothing"?
In English, double negatives cancel each other out, so we change words to make it correct: "Nobody hears anything." But in Croatian, negative words stack up to reinforce the negative meaning. You must use the negative word ništa (nothing) to express "anything" when the sentence is negative.
Is the verb čuje singular or plural here?
It is singular. The subject of the sentence is nitko (nobody). Just like in English, nitko is treated as a single entity, so the verb takes the 3rd person singular form, exactly as it would for he, she, or it.
Can I change the word order and say Nitko ništa ovdje ne čuje?
Yes, Croatian word order is quite flexible. Putting ovdje (here) at the very beginning just puts a little more emphasis on the location. The most important rule to remember is that the negative particle ne must stay directly attached to the front of the verb čuje.
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