Breakdown of Smatra da se postojanje uvijek može dokazati.
uvijek
always
moći
can
sebe
oneself (stressed reflexive)
da
that (conjunction)
smatrati
to consider
dokazati
to prove
postojanje
existence
Questions & Answers about Smatra da se postojanje uvijek može dokazati.
Why is the word se placed right after da, instead of after the subject postojanje?
In Croatian, clitics like the reflexive pronoun se must take the second position in a clause. Subordinating conjunctions like da (that), ako (if), and kad (when) count as the first position of their own clause. Because of this rule, the clitic se gets pulled right up against da, jumping ahead of the subject postojanje.
What is the purpose of se in this sentence if nobody is doing anything to themselves?
It is used here to form the reflexive passive. When you combine se with a verb, it often translates to English as a passive action where the "doer" is unknown or unimportant. So, se može dokazati means "can be proven" rather than "it proves itself".
What case and gender is the word postojanje?
It is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the subordinate clause (it is the thing that can be proven). Nouns ending in -nje are typically formed from verbs to represent an abstract concept or action, and they are almost always neuter.
Could I use misli instead of smatra here?
Yes, you could use misli (thinks) and it would be perfectly understood. However, smatrati means to consider or to hold a considered opinion. It sounds a bit more formal and academic, which fits perfectly with a philosophical statement about proving existence.
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