Breakdown of Izvještava se da štrajk počinje sutra.
sutra
tomorrow
sebe
oneself (stressed reflexive)
počinjati
to begin, to start (imperfective)
da
that (conjunction)
izvještavati
to report
štrajk
strike
Questions & Answers about Izvještava se da štrajk počinje sutra.
Why is se used with izvještava here?
This is the impersonal reporting structure you are currently learning. By adding the reflexive pronoun se to the third-person singular verb izvještava, you create a subjectless, passive meaning: "It is reported." Croatian uses this exactly like English uses "It is [verb]ed that..." for news or general consensus.
Why do we use the imperfective verb izvještavati (izvještava) instead of a perfective form?
In impersonal reporting structures, the verb is almost always imperfective. This reflects that the reporting is an ongoing, current state of affairs rather than a single, completed action in the past.
The strike is happening sutra (tomorrow), so why is the present tense počinje used?
Just like in English ("the strike begins tomorrow"), Croatian frequently uses the present tense of imperfective verbs to talk about officially scheduled future events. You could use the future tense (će početi), but počinje emphasizes that it is a fixed plan.
Could we start the sentence with se, as in Se izvještava da...?
No. As a quick refresher, se is an enclitic, meaning it is a "weak" word that cannot carry emphasis and cannot start a sentence. It must take the second position in its clause, right after the first word (Izvještava).
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