Word
Probajte samo jedan mali gutljaj.
Meaning
Try just one small sip.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Probajte samo jedan mali gutljaj.
Since this lesson is about the '-kast' suffix, could we use a word with '-kast' here to mean 'a little small'?
The suffix -kast translates to '-ish' and is mostly added to qualities like colors or tastes (like slatkast for 'sweetish'). It isn't used for physical size. To express 'a little sip', Croatian simply uses the adjective mali (small) or adds a diminutive noun suffix, making gutljajić.
Why do jedan mali gutljaj look like they are in the nominative case when they are the direct object of the sentence?
They are actually in the accusative case! Because gutljaj (sip) is a masculine inanimate noun, its accusative form is identical to its nominative form. The adjectives jedan and mali follow this exact same rule. If the object were animate (a living thing), the adjectives would take the -og ending instead.
Is the verb probati perfective or imperfective here?
Probati is a biaspectual verb, meaning it can function as either perfective or imperfective depending on the context. In this sentence, because you are prompted to take a single, completed action (one sip), it acts as a perfective verb.
Where does the noun gutljaj come from?