Question 1

How exactly does the word dvadesetak change the meaning compared to just using dvadeset?

Accepted Answer

The suffix -ak adds the meaning of "about" or "roughly". While dvadeset kornjača means exactly twenty turtles, dvadesetak kornjača means "about twenty turtles". You can add this suffix to most round numbers (like desetak, pedesetak, or stotinjak).

Question 2

Why is the verb hoda (walks) in the singular instead of the plural hodaju, since there are twenty turtles?

Accepted Answer

Words ending in -ak used for approximate quantities (like dvadesetak) act grammatically as singular nouns. Because the grammatical subject of the sentence is the singular word dvadesetak, the verb must also take the singular form (hoda), even though the logical meaning refers to multiple turtles.

Question 3

What case is kornjača here, and why does it look identical to the singular dictionary form for "turtle"?

Accepted Answer

It is in the genitive plural, which is required after quantity words like dvadesetak. For many feminine nouns ending in -a, the genitive plural also ends in -a, making it look exactly like the nominative singular. In spoken Croatian, you can tell the difference because the final -a in the genitive plural is pronounced with a noticeably longer vowel sound.

Question 4

Is it normal to put the subject (dvadesetak kornjača) at the very end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, this is very common in Croatian. While you could perfectly well say Dvadesetak kornjača tamo polako hoda, placing the subject at the end is a standard way to introduce new information into a scene. It naturally draws the listener's focus to what is walking there.

Tamo polako hoda dvadesetak kornjača.

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