Breakdown of Mačić će leći u košaru.
u
in, into
htjeti
to want (intent, will)
leći
to lie down
mačić
kitten
košara
basket
Questions & Answers about Mačić će leći u košaru.
Why is it u košaru (Accusative) instead of u košari (Locative)?
The verb leći means "to lie down" (a dynamic action indicating a change of position), so the destination requires the Accusative case. If the kitten were already resting in the basket, you would use the stative verb ležati (to be lying down) with the Locative case: Mačić leži u košari.
Why does leći end in -ći instead of -ti, and does that change the future tense?
While most Croatian infinitives end in -ti, a small group ends in -ći. This matters for the future tense! If an infinitive comes right before the auxiliary word, -ti verbs drop their final -i. However, -ći verbs like leći always keep their full infinitive form regardless of word order.
Can I start the sentence with će if I just want to say "It will lie down in the basket"?
No, because će is an enclitic (a "weak" word) and can never be in the first position of a sentence. If you drop the subject mačić, you must swap the verb and the auxiliary to keep the enclitic in the second position: Leći će u košaru.
How is the word mačić formed?
Mačić is a diminutive meaning "kitten." It is formed by adding the common masculine ending -ić to the base word mačak (tomcat). The k at the end of mačak changes to a č when this suffix is added.
Learn Mačić će leći u košaru 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