Breakdown of Njegov strah je takav da se stalno trese.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
njegov
his
stalno
constantly
da
that (conjunction)
strah
fear
takav
such, that kind of
tresti se
to shake
Questions & Answers about Njegov strah je takav da se stalno trese.
Why do we use takav here instead of tako?
Takav is a demonstrative adjective meaning such or of that kind, and it must agree with the noun it describes. Here, it agrees with the masculine noun strah (fear). You would use the adverb tako (so) if you were modifying a verb or an adjective, for example on se tako jako trese (he shakes so strongly).
How does the structure takav da work in this sentence?
The combination takav da translates directly to such that. It is a common structure used to introduce a result clause. The first part describes the intensity or nature of a noun, and the da clause explains the direct consequence of it.
Why is the verb tresti se reflexive in this sentence?
In English, to shake can be used without an object when someone is trembling. In Croatian, the base verb tresti means to shake something else (like a rug or a tree). To say that a person is physically trembling or shivering, you must use the reflexive pronoun se to show the action happens to the subject's own body.
Why is the word order da se stalno trese and not da stalno se trese?
The reflexive pronoun se is an enclitic, meaning it is an unstressed word that strictly follows the second-position rule within its specific clause. In the dependent clause, the conjunction da occupies the first position, so se must immediately follow it, pushing the adverb stalno and the verb further down the sentence.
Learn Njegov strah je takav da se stalno trese 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