Breakdown of Naša šefica vodi ovaj poznati cirkus.
ovaj
this (m) / ova (f), ovo (n)
naš
our
poznat
famous / familiar (to someone)
voditi
to lead
Questions & Answers about Naša šefica vodi ovaj poznati cirkus.
How is šefica formed, and what is the masculine equivalent?
It is formed by adding the suffix -ica to the masculine noun šef (boss). The -ica ending is the most common way to create a feminine title or profession noun in Croatian, similar to how profesor becomes profesorica.
Does naša (our) match the gender of the people speaking, or the gender of the boss?
It matches the boss! Possessive pronouns like naš must agree with the noun they describe. Because šefica is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine form naša, regardless of whether the group of people saying "our" consists of men or women.
Why don't ovaj and poznati change endings here, even though they are part of the direct object?
Because cirkus is a masculine inanimate noun (a non-living thing). In Croatian, the accusative case (used for direct objects) for inanimate masculine nouns looks exactly the same as the nominative dictionary case. If the boss were leading a living being (like a famous horse, poznatog konja), the endings would change.
Why is it poznati (with an 'i' at the end) instead of just poznat?