Breakdown of Ubod komarca je jako natečen.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
jako
very, strongly (colloquial)
komarac
mosquito
ubod
sting
Questions & Answers about Ubod komarca je jako natečen.
Why is komarca in the genitive case?
In Croatian, possession or attribution is often expressed using the genitive case. Ubod komarca literally translates to the bite of a mosquito. Notice that the nominative form is komarac, but the fleeting a drops out in the genitive, giving us komarca.
Why isn't the adjective natečen written as natečeni?
Because it is used as a predicate here, meaning it comes after the verb je. Predicate adjectives for masculine nouns must use the short or indefinite form without the final i. If you were saying the swollen bite instead of the bite is swollen, you would use the long form: natečeni ubod.
Can I use ubod for any kind of bite?
No, ubod refers to a puncture, sting, or prick. It is used for insects that pierce the skin (like mosquitoes or bees), as well as injections or stabs. For a bite from an animal with teeth, such as a dog, you must use the word ugriz.
What verb does the adjective natečen come from?
It comes from the perfective verb nateći, which means to swell up. Natečen is a passive participle that acts as an adjective here to describe the resulting state of the bite.