Breakdown of Sviđa mi se ovaj grad.
ovaj
this (m) / ova (f), ovo (n)
grad
city
sviđati se
to like (Sviđa mi se)
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Questions & Answers about Sviđa mi se ovaj grad.
Where is the word for "I" in this sentence?
Why is the verb sviđa in the "he/she/it" form instead of the "I" form?
Because the grammatical subject of the sentence is actually ovaj grad (this city). The sentence literally means "This city is pleasing to me." Since the city is doing the action, the verb takes the "he/she/it" form.
What does the word se do in this sentence?
The dictionary form of the Croatian verb for "to like" is sviđati se. The word se is a mandatory part of this verb. It doesn't translate to a specific word in English in this sentence, but you cannot drop it!
Why are mi and se placed right after the first word?
Both mi and se belong to a group of short, unstressed words called enclitics. In Croatian, enclitics follow a strict rule: they almost always jump to the second position in a sentence. Here, they sit perfectly in the second slot right after the first word, Sviđa.