Breakdown of Njezina šminka je uvijek savršena.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
uvijek
always
njezin
her
savršen
perfect
šminka
makeup
Questions & Answers about Njezina šminka je uvijek savršena.
Why is the enclitic je the third word in this sentence, instead of the second?
Enclitics (like the short verb je) usually go in the second position of a sentence. However, that position can be the second word or the second phrase. Here, Njezina šminka acts as a single, inseparable noun phrase. So, je takes the second logical position right after that complete phrase.
Could I use the reflexive possessive svoja here instead of njezina?
No, because šminka is the subject of the sentence. The reflexive possessive svoj (meaning one's own) is only used when the object belongs to the subject of the sentence (for example, in the sentence 'Ona voli svoju šminku'). Since the makeup itself is the subject here, you must use the standard possessive njezina.
I sometimes see njena instead of njezina for "her". Is there a difference?
Both njena and njezina mean "her" and are used interchangeably in everyday life. However, in standard Croatian, njezina is often preferred and considered slightly more formal or grammatically traditional, while njena is very common in casual speech.
Why does savršena end in -a here when it comes after the verb?
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