Breakdown of Zimi je ribolov često opasan.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
često
often
opasan
dangerous
zimi
in the winter
Questions & Answers about Zimi je ribolov često opasan.
How is the word ribolov formed in this sentence?
Ribolov (fishing) is a compound noun made from riba (fish) and lov (hunt or catch). They are joined together by the interfix -o-, which is the standard connecting vowel used to link two words into a single concept in Croatian.
Why is the word for winter written as zimi here instead of zima or u zimi?
Zimi acts as an adverb of time meaning in winter or during winter. It is actually the locative case of zima, used here on its own without a preposition to express the season when something habitually happens.
Why do we use the indefinite adjective opasan instead of the definite form opasni?
Because opasan is used here as a predicate adjective. It comes after the verb je to describe the subject ribolov. In Croatian, predicate adjectives must take the indefinite form if one exists.
Could we put the verb je at the beginning of the sentence?
No, je is an enclitic (an unstressed word) and must strictly follow the second-position rule. It has to come immediately after the first word or phrase, which in this case is the time marker zimi.