Breakdown of Govorim njemački i engleski.
govoriti
to speak
engleski
English
njemački
German (language, adjective)
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Questions & Answers about Govorim njemački i engleski.
Why aren't njemački and engleski capitalized?
In Croatian, names of languages are written with a lowercase letter. Only names of countries, cities, and people (like Njemačka for Germany or Engleska for England) are capitalized.
Why doesn't the sentence start with ja (I)?
Croatian frequently drops the subject pronoun because the verb ending already tells you who is doing the action. The -m at the end of govorim clearly means 'I speak'.
Why do the words for German and English end in -i here?
The words njemački and engleski are actually adjectives. In this sentence, they describe the implied masculine noun jezik (language). Since jezik is masculine and inanimate, its adjectives end in -i when used as the direct object of the verb.
Can I add the word jezik (language) to this sentence?
You could say Govorim njemački i engleski jezik, but it sounds a bit formal. In everyday conversation, Croatians almost always drop the word jezik just like we drop the word 'language' in English.