Breakdown of Čitamo poeziju ovoga slavnoga pjesnika.
ovaj
this (m) / ova (f), ovo (n)
čitati
to read
slavan
famous
poezija
poetry
pjesnik
poet
Questions & Answers about Čitamo poeziju ovoga slavnoga pjesnika.
Why do ovoga and slavnoga end in -oga instead of the usual -og?
This is an example of the optional phonetic extension called a navezak. In the genitive case, masculine and neuter adjectives and pronouns usually end in -og, but you can optionally add an extra -a. It doesn't change the meaning at all, but speakers often add it to make the sentence flow better or sound a bit more formal. You could perfectly well say ovog slavnog pjesnika.
Do I have to put the extra -a on both the pronoun and the adjective?
No, it's completely optional on each word. You can say ovog slavnog, ovoga slavnoga, or even mix them up like ovoga slavnog. However, native speakers often match the endings for rhythmic reasons, which is why both have the -a extension here.
Why is "this famous poet" (ovoga slavnoga pjesnika) in the genitive case?
The genitive case is used here to show possession or origin, which translates to the English word "of". We are reading the poetry of this famous poet.
Just as a quick refresher, why does poeziju end in -u?
Poezija (poetry) is a feminine noun ending in -a. Because it is the direct object receiving the action of the verb čitamo (we read), it takes the accusative case, where the -a changes to -u.
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