Breakdown of Jesi li mu zahvalio na poklonu?
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
on
he
li
question particle
poklon
gift
na
on, at / to, onto (with motion) / about (thinking about)
zahvaliti
to thank
Questions & Answers about Jesi li mu zahvalio na poklonu?
Why do we use mu here instead of the accusative ga?
The verb zahvaliti (to thank) is one of the special verbs that requires the dative case for the person receiving the action. mu is the short dative form of the pronoun for him.
Why is 'for the gift' translated as na poklonu instead of using the preposition za?
While za usually means for, the verb zahvaliti specifically pairs with the preposition na followed by the locative case to express what you are thanking someone for. Think of it as thanking someone on the gift.
Could I say Jesi li mu se zahvalio instead?
Yes, in everyday spoken Croatian, people frequently use the reflexive zahvaliti se to mean to thank. However, in strict formal grammar, zahvaliti means to express gratitude, while zahvaliti se means to politely decline something.
Why are li and mu placed exactly in that order?
Croatian clitics follow a strict ranking. The question particle li is highest in priority, so it comes right after the first word (Jesi), and the dative pronoun clitic mu follows immediately after it.
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