Breakdown of Ovo drveće je staro, a lišće je žuto.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
a
and / but
ovaj
this (m) / ova (f), ovo (n)
star
old
Questions & Answers about Ovo drveće je staro, a lišće je žuto.
Why do we use the singular verb je and adjectives like staro and žuto when trees and leaves are plural in English?
Even though drveće and lišće refer to multiple trees and leaves in real life, grammatically they are neuter singular nouns in Croatian. Because of this, they must take the singular verb je and neuter singular adjectives ending in -o.
Does this neuter singular rule also apply to the word ovo?
Yes! Because drveće is grammatically neuter singular, the demonstrative word for these must actually be the neuter singular ovo, rather than a plural form.
What are the base words for drveće and lišće?
They are collective nouns built from the regular singular nouns drvo (tree) and list (leaf). Adding the -je suffix and softening the final consonant creates a new neuter singular noun that describes a mass or group of those items.
Why use a to mean and in this sentence instead of i?
The conjunction a is often used when switching topics slightly or connecting two parallel clauses with different subjects. Since the first half is about the trees and the second half introduces a new subject (the leaves), a is the most natural fit.