Breakdown of Kao drugo, higijena u kupaonici bila je strašna.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
u
in, into
kupaonica
bathroom
strašan
scary / terrible, awful
kao drugo
secondly
higijena
hygiene
Questions & Answers about Kao drugo, higijena u kupaonici bila je strašna.
Why do we use the neuter form drugo in the phrase kao drugo?
In enumerative markers like kao prvo (firstly) and kao drugo (secondly), the ordinal number always takes the neuter singular form. It does not agree with any noun in the sentence (like the feminine higijena) because the whole phrase acts as a fixed adverbial expression.
Why is the clitic je placed after bila instead of right after the subject phrase higijena u kupaonici?
While you could say higijena u kupaonici je bila strašna, placing bila before the enclitic je is a very common stylistic choice in written Croatian. By saying bila je, the writer treats the entire subject phrase as its own distinct block and attaches the clitic to the active participle instead, which often sounds more elegant.
Is there a difference between kupaonica and the word kupatilo?
Both words mean bathroom, but kupaonica is the standard Croatian word that you should actively use. You will easily be understood if you say kupatilo, but it is generally considered a regional word more common in Serbian and Bosnian.
Why does the sentence use u kupaonici instead of u kupaonicu?
The preposition u takes the locative case when describing a static location (where something is), which gives us the locative form kupaonici. If the sentence were about motion or direction into the bathroom, you would use the accusative case form kupaonicu.
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