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Questions & Answers about Jedemo drvenim žlicama.
Why is there no Croatian word for "with" in this sentence?
In Croatian, when you use an object as a tool or instrument to do something (like eating with a spoon), you simply put that noun in the instrumental case without a preposition. Using the word s or sa (with) here would mean you are eating alongside the spoons, as if they were your dinner companions!
Why does the adjective drvenim end in -im instead of matching the -ama ending of žlicama?
Adjectives and nouns have different sets of endings. While feminine nouns in the plural instrumental case take the -ama ending (like žlicama), adjectives describing plural nouns take the -im ending. In the instrumental plural, all regular adjectives end in -im regardless of whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter.
What would this sentence look like if we were eating with just one wooden spoon?
It would be Jedemo drvenom žlicom. In the instrumental singular, regular feminine nouns end in -om and their adjectives also take the -om ending. So, žlica becomes žlicom, and drvena becomes drvenom.
Is the ending -ama on žlicama only for feminine nouns?