Breakdown of Kupila sam gel i pastu za zube.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
i
and (additive)
kupiti
to buy (perfective)
zub
tooth
za
for (+ accusative)
gel
gel
pasta
paste
Questions & Answers about Kupila sam gel i pastu za zube.
Since gel and pastu are both direct objects, why does pastu change its ending but gel does not?
Both words are in the accusative case. Pasta is a feminine noun, so its accusative ending changes to -u. Gel is an inanimate masculine noun. For inanimate masculine nouns, the accusative form is identical to the nominative form, which is why it looks unchanged.
Why is the phrase za zube used here instead of a single translated word for toothpaste?
Croatian rarely creates compound nouns by combining two nouns into one word like English does. To express what an object is used for, Croatian typically uses the preposition za (for) followed by the accusative case. So, toothpaste is literally paste for teeth (pasta za zube).
What case is zube in the phrase za zube, and what is its base form?
It is in the accusative plural. The base noun is the masculine word zub (tooth). Its nominative plural is zubi, but because it follows the preposition za showing purpose, it takes the accusative plural ending -e.
If I wanted to emphasize the items I bought rather than the action of buying, how would the word order change?
You would move the objects to the beginning of the sentence. Because sam is an enclitic (a weak word with no stress of its own), it must sit in the second logical position. The entire noun phrase acts as the first block of information, making the sentence: Gel i pastu za zube sam kupila.
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