Breakdown of Otac ne da tinejdžeru izaći jer je on neposlušan.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
on
he
ne
no, not
jer
because
Questions & Answers about Otac ne da tinejdžeru izaći jer je on neposlušan.
How does the verb dati work to mean "let" or "allow" in this sentence?
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.
Could we rewrite this sentence using a da clause instead of the infinitive izaći?
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.
Why is the pronoun on explicitly included in jer je on neposlušan?
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.
Why is the adjective neposlušan used here instead of the definite form neposlušni?