Learn Croatian: Kome bratstvo vjeruje? - Whom does the brotherhood trust?

The noun bratstvo is formed by adding the neuter suffix -stvo to the root noun brat (brother). This suffix is highly productive in Croatian for creating abstract concepts, collectives, or states of being, functioning exactly like "-hood" in "brotherhood" or "-ship" in "friendship".

Why do we use the dative Kome instead of the accusative Koga for "whom"?

The verb vjerovati (to trust or to believe) requires its object to be in the dative case when referring to the person being trusted. Therefore, we use kome, which is the dative form of tko (who). Using the accusative koga would be grammatically incorrect because in Croatian, you give your trust "to" someone.

Can vjerovati mean both "to trust" and "to believe"?

Yes, vjerovati covers both meanings and you must rely on context to tell them apart. In this sentence, both "Whom does the brotherhood believe?" and "Whom does the brotherhood trust?" are perfectly valid translations, though "trust" often sounds more natural in English when discussing the loyalty or confidence of a collective group.

Why does kome have to be the first word in the sentence?

In Croatian, interrogative pronouns (question words) like kome, tko, or što almost always take the very first position in a question. The subject bratstvo and the verb vjeruje simply follow it.