Breakdown of Istražujemo napuštena mjesta gdje stare zgrade propadaju.
gdje
where
star
old
zgrada
building
mjesto
place / space, room
istraživati
to investigate
napušten
abandoned
propadati
to decay
Questions & Answers about Istražujemo napuštena mjesta gdje stare zgrade propadaju.
We usually see gdje at the beginning of a question. How is it working in the middle of this sentence?
Here, gdje (where) acts as a relative pronoun instead of a question word. It connects the main clause (Istražujemo napuštena mjesta) to the descriptive clause (stare zgrade propadaju), specifically referring back to a physical location.
Could I use a different relative pronoun instead of gdje here?
What case is napuštena mjesta in, and why do both words end in -a?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb istražujemo (we explore). The noun mjesto (place) is neuter. For neuter nouns, the plural nominative and accusative forms are identical and end in -a. The adjective napuštena takes the same ending to match.
The word napuštena looks a bit like a verb but is used as an adjective here. How does that work?
It is a passive adjective (also called a passive participle) formed from the verb napustiti (to leave or abandon). When used this way, it translates to "abandoned" and takes regular adjective endings to match the noun it describes.
Why are the verbs istražujemo and propadaju both in the imperfective aspect?
Because both actions describe ongoing, continuous processes. The explorers are spending a duration of time looking around, and the buildings are in a continuous state of decaying, rather than these being single, completed events.
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