Questions & Answers about Dječak s ožiljkom je hrabar.
How does the word for 'scar' change to ožiljkom here?
The dictionary form is ožiljak (a masculine noun). When we use the preposition s (with), the noun must be in the instrumental case, which usually adds -om for masculine nouns. However, ožiljak has a 'fleeting a' (an a that disappears when endings are added). So, ožiljak drops its a to become ožiljk-, and adding -om gives us ožiljkom.
Why do we use s instead of sa in this sentence?
The basic word for 'with' is s. We only expand it to sa when the next word starts with a sound that is hard to pronounce right after s, like s, z, š, or ž (for example, sa šećerom meaning 'with sugar'). Since ožiljkom starts with the vowel o, we just stick with the shorter s.
Is the instrumental case always used for physical features like a scar?
Yes, using s or sa plus the instrumental case is the standard way to describe someone's physical attributes, clothing, or accessories in Croatian. Just like you would say čovjek s bradom (a man with a beard), here we say dječak s ožiljkom (a boy with a scar).