Breakdown of Imate li toplomjer koji brzo mjeri temperaturu?
li
question particle
imati
to have
brzo
quickly
koji
which
temperatura
fever / temperature
mjeriti
to measure
toplomjer
thermometer
Questions & Answers about Imate li toplomjer koji brzo mjeri temperaturu?
Since toplomjer is the object of the sentence, why doesn't its ending change to reflect the accusative case?
Because toplomjer (thermometer) is a masculine inanimate noun. In Croatian, masculine nouns that represent things rather than living beings have an accusative form that is identical to their nominative (dictionary) form.
What case is the relative pronoun koji in, and why?
Koji is in the nominative case here. Although it refers back to toplomjer (which is in the accusative case in the main clause), a relative pronoun takes its case from its grammatical role in its own clause. Since koji is the subject of the verb mjeri (it is the thing doing the measuring), it must be nominative.
How is the vocabulary word toplomjer constructed?
It is a compound word combining toplo (warm) and the base of the verb mjeriti (to measure). This is a common pattern in Croatian; you will see the suffix -mjer on many instruments, such as brzinomjer (speedometer) or visinomjer (altimeter).
Can I form this question without using the inverted Imate li structure?
Yes, conversational Croatian often uses Da li imate toplomjer... or simply relies on a rising voice tone with the statement Imate toplomjer.... However, the verb plus li construction used here is considered the most standard and elegant for yes/no questions.
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