Breakdown of Nećete dobiti naknadu, osim ako ostvarite bolji rezultat.
htjeti
to want (intent, will)
dobiti
to get / to win
bolji
better
ako
if
rezultat
result
osim
except / besides, apart from
ostvariti
to achieve
naknada
fee (f)
Questions & Answers about Nećete dobiti naknadu, osim ako ostvarite bolji rezultat.
Why is the verb ostvarite in the present tense when the first part of the sentence is in the future tense (nećete dobiti)?
After osim ako (unless), Croatian uses the present tense of a perfective verb to express a future condition. This actually matches English, where we also use the present tense for this: we say "unless you achieve" rather than "unless you will achieve".
Could I use the imperfective verb ostvarujete instead of the perfective ostvarite here?
Not in this context. You need the perfective ostvarite because the condition for getting the fee depends on the successful completion of the action (actually achieving the result), rather than the ongoing process of trying to get there.
Is the comma before osim ako mandatory?
Yes. In Croatian grammar, you must always put a comma before an exceptive clause starting with osim ako. In English, a comma before "unless" is often optional, so this is an important difference to remember when writing.
Why does bolji rezultat look like it is in the nominative case if it is the direct object?
Rezultat is a masculine inanimate noun. For masculine nouns that do not represent living beings, the accusative case (used for direct objects) takes the exact same form as the nominative case, which is why neither the adjective bolji nor the noun change their endings here.
Learn Nećete dobiti naknadu, osim ako ostvarite bolji rezultat and more in Croatian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free