Questions & Answers about Dečki i momci su ovdje.
Why is the plural of momak momci and not momaki?
Two things happen here. First, momak has a 'fleeting a', meaning the a before the k disappears when you add an ending. That leaves the stem momk-. Second, when the letter k is followed by the plural ending -i, it changes into a c to make it easier to pronounce. This gives us momci.
Is there a difference in meaning between dečki and momci?
Yes, though they are similar. Dečki (plural of dečko) usually refers to younger boys, teenagers, or can mean 'boyfriends'. Momci (plural of momak) generally refers to slightly older young men, guys, or lads. Both are very common ways to refer to a group of guys.
Why doesn't dečko get a long plural ending like -ovi since it is a short word?
Many short masculine words take a long plural ending, like grad becoming gradovi. However, dečko is an exception and its plural is simply dečki. You might also notice that the k doesn't change to a c here, which is another small exception to the rule you saw with momci.
Why is the verb su placed after the whole phrase instead of right after the first word?
Su (are) is an enclitic, which is a weak word that usually must take the second position in a sentence. However, because Dečki i momci acts as a single connected subject block, the enclitic treats the entire phrase as the 'first idea' and correctly places itself right after it.
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