Breakdown of Dječak je viši za sedam centimetara.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
sedam
seven
dječak
boy
za
by (degree of difference)
Questions & Answers about Dječak je viši za sedam centimetara.
Why do we use za in this sentence?
In Croatian, when you want to specify by how much something is bigger, older, taller, etc., you use the preposition za followed by the Accusative case. In English, we usually just say 'seven centimeters taller' or 'taller by seven centimeters', but Croatian strictly requires za to express this exact difference.
If za triggers the Accusative case, why does centimetara end up in the Genitive plural?
This is a great catch! The preposition za applies to the entire number phrase. However, the number sedam (seven) triggers its own rule: any noun following numbers five and above must be in the Genitive plural. So, while the whole phrase fills the Accusative 'slot' required by za, the word centimetara stays in the Genitive plural because of the number sedam.
Is viši an irregular comparative form?
Yes. The base adjective is visok (tall). Instead of just adding a standard comparative ending to the whole word, it drops the -ok suffix and softens the root, becoming viši. Here, it is in the Nominative masculine singular to agree with the subject, dječak.
Could I change the word order and put the measurement before the adjective?