Breakdown of Kad bi on bio gradonačelnik, smanjio bi proračun.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
on
he
bi
would (bi, bismo, biste)
kad
if (hypothetical: kad bi + conditional)
Questions & Answers about Kad bi on bio gradonačelnik, smanjio bi proračun.
Why do we use kad bi instead of ako for "if" in this sentence?
Kad bi is used for unreal or hypothetical conditionals, meaning situations that are not true right now. Ako is used for real possibilities. Because he is not currently the mayor, we use kad bi followed by the l-participle (bio) to say "If he were...".
Why does the word bi appear twice in this sentence?
It appears in both halves of the sentence to show that both parts are hypothetical. In the first half, it pairs with kad to trigger the unreal "if" condition. In the second half, it combines with the l-participle smanjio to form the conditional mood (smanjio bi meaning "he would reduce").
Why is gradonačelnik in the nominative case instead of the accusative?
Nouns that follow the verb biti (to be) to describe or identify the subject are called predicate nouns, and they always stay in the nominative case. Since the subject on (he) is nominative, gradonačelnik (mayor) is also nominative.
Is the word proračun (budget) in the nominative or accusative case here?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object being reduced by the verb smanjiti. However, because proračun is an inanimate masculine noun, its accusative form looks exactly identical to its nominative form.