Breakdown of Prokleti auto opet ne radi!
raditi
to work
auto
car (short form)
opet
again
prokleti
to curse (perfective; also "damned")
Questions & Answers about Prokleti auto opet ne radi!
Auto ends in -o, which is usually a neuter ending. Why does the adjective prokleti have a masculine ending?
Auto is short for automobil, so it keeps its masculine gender even though it ends in -o. This is a common exception in Croatian. Because it is masculine, any adjectives describing it must also take masculine endings, like prokleti.
Why is the adjective prokleti used here instead of the shorter form proklet?
The -i at the end of prokleti makes it a definite adjective, which corresponds to the word the in English (the damned car). If you used the indefinite form proklet, it would sound more like a damned car, which does not fit the context of complaining about a specific vehicle.
I learned that raditi means to work as in doing a job. Is it always used for machines too?
Where does the adjective prokleti come from?
It comes from the verb prokleti (to curse or to damn). The word in this sentence is actually a verb form that functions as a regular adjective, literally meaning cursed or damned.
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