Breakdown of Ovaj ekran je tamniji, pa podesi kontrast.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
ovaj
this (m) / ova (f), ovo (n)
pa
so, and then
taman
dark
ekran
screen
podesiti
to adjust
kontrast
contrast
Questions & Answers about Ovaj ekran je tamniji, pa podesi kontrast.
Why does the comparative of taman drop the 'a' to become tamniji?
The adjective taman (dark) has a fleeting 'a' (nepostojano a). This is an 'a' in the final syllable of the base form that disappears when endings are added. When the comparative suffix -iji is attached, that 'a' drops out, giving us tamniji instead of tamaniji.
Could I use zato instead of pa to mean "so" in this sentence?
You could say zato podesi kontrast (for that reason, adjust the contrast), but pa is much more natural here as a conversational conjunction linking a situation to a logical next step. zato feels heavier, like "therefore," whereas pa acts just like the English "so" in everyday commands.
Why use the perfective verb podesiti for the command podesi rather than an imperfective equivalent?
You are telling someone to complete a single, specific action right now: adjust the contrast until it is right, and then stop. The perfective aspect emphasizes finishing this specific task, which is the standard way to give direct, one-off commands in Croatian.
The word kontrast is the direct object of the verb, so shouldn't it change its ending for the accusative case?
It is actually in the accusative case here! For masculine nouns that represent non-living things like kontrast or ekran, the accusative form is exactly the same as the nominative form. A masculine noun only takes an -a ending in the accusative if it represents a living being.
Learn Ovaj ekran je tamniji, pa podesi kontrast and more in Croatian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free