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Questions & Answers about Ne pijem kavu, već čaj.
Why is "but" translated as već here instead of the usual ali?
When you are making a direct correction after a negative statement (saying "not X, but Y"), you use već or nego. You use ali when adding new or contrasting information, usually after a positive statement, like "I drink tea, but I prefer coffee."
Could I use nego instead of već in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely! Ne pijem kavu, nego čaj means exactly the same thing. Both već and nego are used for this kind of "not this, but that" contrast, and they are completely interchangeable here.
Doesn't već usually mean "already"?
Yes! In a positive sentence, već usually means "already" (for example, Već pijem kavu means "I am already drinking coffee"). But when it directly follows a negative statement and introduces a contrasting alternative, it translates to "but" or "rather".
Why does kava change to kavu, but čaj stays exactly the same? Aren't they both the object of the sentence?
They are both in the accusative case because they are the direct objects of the verb piti (to drink). Feminine nouns ending in -a like kava change to -u in the accusative. However, čaj is a masculine inanimate noun (a non-living thing), and for these nouns, the accusative form is identical to the basic dictionary form.