Breakdown of Znanstvenici su neumorno tražili rješenje mjesecima.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
tražiti
to look for / to demand, request
mjesec
month
rješenje
solution (n)
znanstvenik
scientist
neumorno
tirelessly
Questions & Answers about Znanstvenici su neumorno tražili rješenje mjesecima.
Why is mjesecima in the instrumental case if there is no preposition like s or sa?
In Croatian, the bare instrumental case (without a preposition) is used here to express continuous time or duration. By using mjesecima, you are saying that the action went on continuously 'for months'. You will see this with other time words too, like danima (for days) or godinama (for years).
How is the adverb neumorno (tirelessly) formed?
It comes from the noun umor (tiredness or fatigue). Adding the prefix ne- makes it negative, and the suffix -no turns it into an adverb. So, literally, it translates to 'without tiredness'.
What case is rješenje in, and why does it look like the dictionary form?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb tražili (they searched for). Because rješenje is a neuter noun, its accusative form is exactly the same as its nominative form.
Could we put mjesecima at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, you could say Mjesecima su znanstvenici neumorno tražili rješenje. This word order shifts the emphasis slightly, placing more focus on the fact that it took months, rather than on the scientists themselves. Notice that the auxiliary verb su still must stay in the second position.
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