Questions & Answers about Igramo se s mačkom.
Why do we use s instead of sa in this sentence?
Both mean "with", but s is the standard form. You only need to use sa if the next word starts with the letters s, z, š, or ž, because it would be too hard to pronounce s right before those sounds. Since mačkom starts with an m, we just use s.
Why does the feminine word mačka change to mačkom? Isn't -om a masculine ending?
In the instrumental case, most regular feminine nouns that end in -a (like mačka) take the ending -om. So mačka becomes mačkom. It happens to look exactly like the regular masculine and neuter instrumental ending, which makes it a little easier to learn!
What is the word se doing in this sentence?
The verb for playing around or playing with someone is igrati se, which is a reflexive verb. If you drop the se and just say igrati, it usually means playing a sport, a structured game, or a musical instrument. Since we are playing with a living thing, we need the se.
Why is the word for "we" missing from the sentence?
In Croatian, you usually drop the pronoun mi (we) because the verb ending in -mo (igramo) already tells you exactly who is doing the action. Adding mi is only done if you want to add emphasis, like saying "WE are playing with the cat (and you are not)."
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