Breakdown of Netko je prolio kavu po mojem laptopu.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
kava
coffee
moj
my
netko
someone
Questions & Answers about Netko je prolio kavu po mojem laptopu.
Why do we use po here instead of na to mean "on"?
While na usually means placing something directly on a specific spot, po often suggests spreading, scattering, or distributing across a surface. Since spilled liquid spreads all over the laptop, po is the perfect choice to describe that mess!
What case is used for mojem laptopu?
It is in the locative case. The preposition po requires the locative case when it describes movement or distribution across a surface. The nominative (dictionary form) is moj laptop, which changes to mojem laptopu here.
I have learned the word mom for "my" in this case. Is mojem also correct?
Yes, both are correct! Mojem is the standard, full form of the pronoun moj in the locative case. Mom is just the shortened version of it. You will hear both in everyday speech.
Why is the verb form prolio and not an imperfective verb?
Prolio is the past tense of the perfective verb proliti. Perfective verbs are used for single, completed actions. Since spilling coffee is usually a sudden, finished accident, we use the perfective aspect rather than focusing on the continuous process.