Breakdown of Neću koristiti iglu i konac kojima sam popravio jaknu.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
i
and (additive)
jakna
jacket
htjeti
to want (intent, will)
koji
which
popraviti
to fix
koristiti
to use
igla
needle
konac
thread
Questions & Answers about Neću koristiti iglu i konac kojima sam popravio jaknu.
Why is the relative pronoun kojima in the plural here?
Because it refers back to two items: iglu (needle) and konac (thread). When a relative pronoun refers to multiple objects together, it takes the plural form.
Why is kojima in the Instrumental case?
Because it represents the tools used to perform the action (fixing the jacket). In Croatian, the tools or means you use to do something are put in the Instrumental case.
Wait, shouldn't there be the preposition s or sa (with) before kojima?
No. When the Instrumental case is used for a tool or inanimate instrument (like a needle and thread), you do not use s or sa. You only use s or sa when talking about company, like doing an action along with another person.
Why does igla change to iglu but konac stays the same?
Both are the direct objects of the verb koristiti (to use), so they must be in the Accusative case. Igla is a feminine noun, so its ending changes to -u. Konac is a masculine inanimate noun (a non-living thing), and for those, the Accusative form is identical to the basic dictionary (Nominative) form.
Why doesn't the Croatian sentence end with a word for 'with', like the English translation does?
In English, it is common to leave a preposition like 'with' at the very end of a sentence. Croatian grammar doesn't allow this. The word kojima essentially means 'with which' because of its Instrumental case, and relative pronouns must come right at the start of their clause, immediately after the nouns they refer to.
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