Questions & Answers about Nitko ne ide k policajcu.
Why do we use k for "to" here instead of u or na?
In Croatian, when you are expressing movement towards a person (like a policeman, doctor, or friend), you use the preposition k (or ka) followed by the dative case. You generally use u or na when going to physical places or locations.
When should I use k and when should I use ka?
They mean the exact same thing! You only need to use the longer form ka when the next word starts with the letters k, g, or h to make it easier to pronounce, or sometimes before words starting with consonant clusters. Since policajcu starts with a p, the shorter k is used here.
The English translation says "No one is going," but the Croatian says Nitko ne ide. Isn't that a double negative?
Yes, and that is a strict rule in Croatian! Unlike English, Croatian requires a double negative. If you use a negative word like nitko (nobody) or ništa (nothing), you must also make the verb negative by adding ne.
Why is the dative form spelled policajcu instead of policajacu?