Breakdown of Moraš pročitati svaku riječ.
morati
must
svaki
every, each
pročitati
to read (perfective)
riječ
word
Questions & Answers about Moraš pročitati svaku riječ.
Why is it svaku instead of just svaki?
svaki acts like an adjective, so its ending changes to match the noun it describes. Here, it describes riječ (word), which is the direct object of the action (what you must read), so it goes into the accusative case. Because riječ is feminine, svaki takes the feminine accusative ending -u, becoming svaku.
Wait, riječ ends in a consonant. Doesn't that usually mean a noun is masculine?
It usually does! However, riječ is a very common exception. It belongs to a special group of Croatian nouns that end in a consonant but are actually feminine. Because it is feminine, any adjectives or determiners attached to it must take feminine endings—which is exactly why it triggers the feminine form svaku.
Why use pročitati here instead of the standard verb čitati?
pročitati is the completed (perfective) version of the verb 'to read'. Using it here emphasizes that the action must be completed—you have to successfully read the words to the end. If you used the ongoing verb čitati, it would focus more on the process, sounding a bit like 'you must spend time reading every word'.
Does svaku riječ translate exactly to 'every word' or 'each word'?
It can mean both! Croatian doesn't make a strict distinction between 'every' and 'each' the way English does. The base word svaki covers both meanings, so this sentence works perfectly whether you are emphasizing 'every single word in the text' or 'each individual word'.