Breakdown of Je li onaj teret za to vozilo?
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
li
question particle
za
for / at (a table) (+ instrumental)
taj
that (masculine)
Questions & Answers about Je li onaj teret za to vozilo?
Why does to vozilo look like it is in the nominative case if za requires the accusative?
The preposition za takes the accusative case when it means 'for' (showing purpose or destination). However, vozilo is a neuter noun, and neuter nouns (along with their describing words like to) have the exact same form in both the nominative and accusative cases.
Why are there two different words for 'that' (onaj and to) in this sentence?
Croatian uses three distance words: ovaj (this, near speaker), taj (that, near listener, neuter form to), and onaj (that over there, far from both). Using onaj teret implies the freight is far away, while to vozilo implies the vehicle is closer to the listener.
Can I start the sentence with Da li je instead of Je li?
Yes, Da li je onaj teret... is also correct and very commonly used in spoken Croatian to ask yes/no questions. However, Je li is considered better style and is the standard form taught in written grammar.
Is teret the subject of the sentence, and if so, why does it come after Je li?