Breakdown of Djeca viču i mašu s ljuljačke.
i
and (additive)
vikati
to shout
djeca
children
s
from, off (+ genitive)
mahati
to wave
ljuljačka
swing
Questions & Answers about Djeca viču i mašu s ljuljačke.
How do we get viču from the verb vikati?
This verb undergoes jotation in the present tense. A hidden "j" is added to the stem, causing the k to change to č (k + j = č). The base becomes viče-, so the "they" form is viču instead of "vikaju".
Why is the verb for waving mašu instead of "mahaju"?
Similar to vikati, the verb mahati changes in the present tense because of jotation. The h combines with a "j" to become š (h + j = š). This makes the stem maše-, giving us mašu for "they wave".
The word djeca ends in "-a", which usually means feminine singular. Why do we use the plural verbs viču and mašu?
The word djeca is a collective noun meaning "children". Even though it uses feminine singular endings when changing cases, it represents multiple people, so it always takes plural verbs.
Why do we use s ljuljačke to mean "from the swing" instead of using iz?
In Croatian, movement "from" or "off of" a surface uses the preposition s (or sa) if the opposite position uses na (on). Because a child sits na ljuljački (on the swing), they wave s ljuljačke (from the swing). The preposition s here requires the genitive case, giving us the -e ending.
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