Breakdown of Za ovu omotnicu treba nekoliko markica.
ovaj
this (m) / ova (f), ovo (n)
trebati
to need / should (ought to)
nekoliko
several
za
for (+ accusative)
omotnica
envelope
markica
stamp
Questions & Answers about Za ovu omotnicu treba nekoliko markica.
Why is it Za ovu omotnicu treba instead of Ova omotnica treba?
In English, inanimate objects can actively 'need' things. In Croatian, inanimate objects generally do not use the verb trebati as an active subject. Instead, the sentence is phrased impersonally using the preposition za (for) plus the accusative case (ovu omotnicu), meaning 'For this envelope, [there] is needed...'.
Why is the verb treba in the singular when we are talking about multiple stamps?
The word nekoliko (a few or several) is an adverb of quantity. In Croatian, when a quantity word like nekoliko, mnogo, or malo acts as the subject phrase, the verb must be in the third-person singular. If this were in the past tense, it would take the neuter singular form (trebalo je).
What case is markica here, and why does it look exactly like the nominative singular?
It is in the genitive plural, which is required after adverbs of quantity like nekoliko. For many feminine nouns ending in -ica, the genitive plural is spelled exactly the same as the nominative singular. However, in spoken Croatian, the final -a in the genitive plural is pronounced with a noticeably longer vowel sound.
Could I use the word koverta instead of omotnica here?
Yes, you can. Omotnica is the standard Croatian word for an envelope, but koverta is a very common borrowed word that you will hear frequently in everyday speech. If you used it, the phrase would simply change to Za ovu kovertu.
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