Questions & Answers about Brat mi radi u inozemstvu.
Why does it say Brat mi instead of Moj brat?
In Croatian, it is very common to use the short dative pronoun (mi, literally "to me") to show possession, especially with family members and body parts. Moj brat is also perfectly correct, but Brat mi sounds very natural and conversational.
Could I say Mi brat radi u inozemstvu?
No, because mi is an enclitic (a short, unstressed word). Enclitics strictly follow the "second position" rule in Croatian. The pronoun must come immediately after the first word or phrase in the sentence, which here is Brat.
Why is inozemstvu in the locative case here?
The preposition u takes the locative case when it describes a fixed location (answering "where?"). Because your brother is already there working, we use the locative u inozemstvu. If he were traveling there (answering "where to?"), you would use the accusative case instead: Brat mi ide u inozemstvo.
What is the literal meaning of inozemstvo?
It translates to "foreign land" or "other country." It is built from an old root ino- meaning "other" or "foreign," combined with zemlja meaning "land," and the noun suffix -stvo.
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