Breakdown of Moramo kupiti pet novih guma za ovaj auto.
ovaj
this (m) / ova (f), ovo (n)
nov
new
auto
car (short form)
pet
five
morati
must
kupiti
to buy (perfective)
za
for / at (a table) (+ instrumental)
guma
tire
Questions & Answers about Moramo kupiti pet novih guma za ovaj auto.
Why do we use novih guma after pet?
In Croatian, numbers from 5 upwards require the following noun and any adjectives describing it to be in the genitive plural. Here, the feminine phrase nova guma (new tire) changes to its genitive plural form: novih guma.
How would this phrase change if we only needed to buy four tires?
This is where the paucal numbers (2, 3, and 4) come in! For these numbers, feminine nouns and their adjectives use a special form that looks exactly like the nominative plural. If you were buying four tires, you would say četiri nove gume instead of using the genitive plural.
Doesn't the word auto end in "-o"? Why do we use the masculine word ovaj instead of the neuter ovo?
Even though it ends in "-o", auto is a masculine noun. This is because it is a shortened version of automobil, which is masculine. Because it is masculine, it must be paired with the masculine pronoun ovaj.
What case is ovaj auto in, and why?
It is in the accusative case, triggered by the preposition za (meaning "for"). Because auto is a masculine inanimate noun (an object, not a living being), its accusative form is exactly the same as its nominative form.
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