Question 1

How does the verb dati work to mean "let" or "allow" in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

In Croatian, the verb dati (literally "to give") is often used to mean "to let" or "to allow." When used this way, it takes an indirect object in the dative case (here, tinejdžeru - to the teenager) and is followed by the action they are allowed to do. In this sentence, that action is expressed with the infinitive verb izaći.

Question 2

Could we rewrite this sentence using a da clause instead of the infinitive izaći?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Instead of the infinitive, you can use da + present tense. The sentence would become: Otac ne da tinejdžeru da izađe... Both are grammatically correct and widely used, though Croatian often slightly prefers the infinitive over a da clause when the meaning is clear.

Question 3

Why is the pronoun on explicitly included in jer je on neposlušan?

Accepted Answer

In Croatian, subject pronouns are usually dropped because the verb ending tells you who is acting. However, including on here helps clarify exactly who is disobedient. Since both the father (otac) and the teenager (tinejdžer) are masculine, adding on emphasizes the teenager and avoids any brief ambiguity that the father might be the disobedient one.

Question 4

Why is the adjective neposlušan used here instead of the definite form neposlušni?

Accepted Answer

Because it is acting as a predicate adjective—meaning it comes right after a form of the verb "to be" (je) to describe the subject. In Croatian, predicate adjectives almost always take the short, indefinite form (neposlušan), rather than the long, definite form (neposlušni).

Otac ne da tinejdžeru izaći jer je on neposlušan.

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