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Questions & Answers about Slušamo umirujuću glazbu.
How exactly is the adjective umirujuću formed here?
It is a present active participle formed from the imperfective verb umirivati (to soothe or calm). You take the 3rd person plural present tense form (umiruju - they soothe) and add the suffix -ći, creating the base form umirujući (soothing).
Why does umirujuću end in -u in this sentence?
Because it is being used attributively (as an adjective) to describe glazbu (music). Since glazbu is in the feminine accusative singular, the participle must match it. Present active participles decline just like regular definite adjectives, so the feminine accusative ending -u is added, making it umirujuću.
Is it spelled with a soft ć or a hard č?
It is always spelled with a soft ć. Present active participles are strictly formed with the -ći suffix (and its declined forms like -ća, -ću, -će). Remembering that this specific grammatical suffix always uses ć is a great shortcut to avoid spelling mistakes.
In English we "listen to" music. Why isn't there a preposition like na or k before umirujuću glazbu?
Unlike English, the Croatian verb slušati (to listen) takes a direct object. This means the thing you are listening to simply goes straight into the accusative case without any preposition. You are literally saying "We are listening soothing music."