Breakdown of Ovo nije četka kojom peremo posuđe u kuhinji.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
ovaj
this (m) / ova (f), ovo (n)
ne
no, not
u
in, into
kuhinja
kitchen
prati
to wash
koji
which
posuđe
dishes
četka
brush
Questions & Answers about Ovo nije četka kojom peremo posuđe u kuhinji.
Why is the relative pronoun kojom used here instead of koja?
The pronoun refers back to četka (brush), which is a feminine noun. Because the brush is the tool used to do the washing, it must be in the Instrumental case. The feminine singular Instrumental form of koji is kojom (with which).
Why isn't there a preposition like s or sa before kojom?
In English we say 'the brush we wash dishes WITH'. But in Croatian, when an object is used as a tool or instrument to perform an action, you use the Instrumental case entirely on its own. You only add s or sa when doing something alongside someone or something (like 'with a friend').
Is posuđe plural? It looks like a neuter singular noun.
It is grammatically a singular neuter noun, but it is a collective noun that means 'dishes' or 'dishware' in general. It is formed from the regular feminine noun posuda (a dish or container).
Why is the verb for washing peremo if the infinitive is prati?
Prati is a slightly irregular verb. In the present tense, its stem changes from pra- to per-. So, 'we wash' becomes peremo.
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