Breakdown of Tvoj brat je takav brbljivac da me stalno živcira.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
ja
I
brat
brother
tvoj
your (informal)
Questions & Answers about Tvoj brat je takav brbljivac da me stalno živcira.
Why do we use takav here instead of tako?
We use takav because it modifies the noun brbljivac (chatterbox). Takav is an adjective meaning "such a" and must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun (masculine nominative singular here). If we were modifying an adjective or adverb, like saying "so talkative", we would use the adverb tako (e.g., tako brbljav da...).
Why is the word me placed immediately after da?
Me is an unstressed pronoun (a clitic), which means it must sit in the second position of its clause. In a subordinate clause starting with da, the conjunction da counts as the first position, so the clitic naturally snaps into place right next to it.
How is the noun brbljivac formed?
It is formed from the verb brbljati (to babble or chatter). Adding the suffix -vac creates a masculine noun for a person who does that action frequently. The feminine equivalent would be brbljivica.
The verb živcira sounds related to the word for "nerve". Is it?
Yes! It comes directly from the noun živac (nerve). While it translates simply as "annoys", saying živcira me literally means "he gets on my nerves". It is a very common, everyday verb in Croatian.