Breakdown of Što je povrće zrelije, to je žetva bolja.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
dobar
good
povrće
vegetables
što
the (correlative: the more...)
to
the (correlative: ...the more)
zreo
ripe
žetva
harvest
Questions & Answers about Što je povrće zrelije, to je žetva bolja.
How does the "the... the..." structure translate in this sentence?
In Croatian, "the [comparative]..., the [comparative]..." translates to što + comparative, to + comparative. Here, we use što je... zrelije (the riper... is) and to je... bolja (the better... is). Notice that while English often drops the verb in this saying, Croatian typically keeps the verb je (is) in both halves of the sentence.
English uses the plural "vegetables", so why does this sentence use the singular verb je and the neuter singular adjective zrelije?
The word povrće (vegetables) is a collective noun in Croatian. Even though it refers to multiple items, it is grammatically a neuter singular noun. Because of this, it must take the singular verb je (is) and the neuter singular form of the comparative adjective, which is zrelije.
Why does the verb je come immediately after što and to, separating them from the nouns?
The word je is an enclitic, which is a short, unstressed word. In Croatian, enclitics must generally sit in the second position of a clause. In the first clause, što is the first word, so je must immediately follow it. The same rule applies in the second clause, where je is pulled into the second position right after to.
What are the base dictionary forms of the adjectives zrelije and bolja?
The base adjective for zrelije is zreo (ripe). Its neuter comparative form is zrelije (riper). The base adjective for bolja is dobar (good), which is irregular. Its comparative is bolji (better), and since it describes the feminine noun žetva (harvest), it takes the feminine singular form bolja.
Learn Što je povrće zrelije, to je žetva bolja and more in Croatian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free