Breakdown of Što se traži za članstvo?
što
what
tražiti
to look for / to demand, request
sebe
oneself (stressed reflexive)
za
for (+ accusative)
članstvo
membership
Questions & Answers about Što se traži za članstvo?
How is the word članstvo formed in this sentence?
It is formed from the noun član (member) plus the neuter suffix -stvo. This suffix is highly productive in Croatian for turning people or roles into abstract concepts, states, or collectives. Here, it turns "member" into the abstract state of "membership".
Why doesn't the ending of članstvo change after the preposition za?
The preposition za requires the accusative case here. Because članstvo is a neuter noun (like all nouns ending in -stvo or -štvo), its accusative form is identical to its nominative form, so the ending stays exactly the same.
Why do we use se traži instead of just traži?
Using se creates a reflexive passive. The verb tražiti means "to seek" or "to demand". By saying se traži, the sentence translates literally to "What seeks itself?" but functions as "What is sought?" or "What is required?". This is the most natural way to state general rules or requirements in Croatian without specifying who is doing the requiring.
I've also heard the word članarina. Could I use that here instead?
It would change the meaning. Članarina specifically refers to the "membership fee", whereas članstvo is the abstract concept of "membership" itself (the status or the collective group of members). If you wanted to ask about the fee, you would usually ask Kolika je članarina? (How much is the membership fee?).
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