Question 1

Why is the subject strašna jeka placed at the very end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

This is a classic example of a rhematic subject. Because Croatian does not have articles like 'a' or 'the', it relies heavily on word order to signal what is new information. When a subject is completely new to the context or describes a phenomenon suddenly appearing on the scene, it is shifted to the absolute end of the sentence for emphasis.

Question 2

Why does tunel look like it is in the nominative case if it follows a preposition?

Accepted Answer

The preposition kroz always requires the accusative case. Because tunel is an inanimate masculine noun, its accusative form is exactly identical to its nominative form. If the noun had been an animate masculine noun, you would see a distinct accusative ending.

Question 3

The verb prolazi already carries the meaning of passing through. Is it mandatory to use the preposition kroz as well?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if you want to specify exactly what the echo is passing through. The prefix pro- on the verb indicates the general motion of passing, but to link that motion to the specific object tunel, you must use the preposition kroz. This kind of pairing between a verbal prefix and a preposition is a very natural and common pattern in Croatian.

Question 4

Could strašna mean 'scary' instead of 'terrible'?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it comes from the root strah (fear), so its literal meaning is 'frightening' or 'scary.' However, in everyday Croatian, strašan is frequently used figuratively to mean 'intense,' 'huge,' or 'terrible' in magnitude, especially when describing sounds, weather, or physical pain.

Kroz tunel prolazi strašna jeka.

Breakdown of Kroz tunel prolazi strašna jeka.

Questions & Answers about Kroz tunel prolazi strašna jeka.

Learn Kroz tunel prolazi strašna jeka and more in Croatian