Breakdown of Tama je zavladala u cijelom gradu.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
grad
city
u
in, into
cijeli
whole
tama
darkness (gloom, obscurity)
zavladati
to take over
Questions & Answers about Tama je zavladala u cijelom gradu.
Why is the verb zavladati used here instead of a verb for 'to fall'?
In English we say that darkness 'falls', but in Croatian the verb zavladati literally means 'to take over' or 'to begin to rule'. It is the natural verb to use when describing abstract states like darkness, silence, or panic taking effect.
Why is u cijelom gradu in the locative case rather than the accusative? Doesn't the English translation imply motion?
While the English phrase 'fell over' implies motion, the Croatian sentence is built around the verb zavladati (to rule or take over). The darkness is now reigning within the city, which is a static location. Therefore, the preposition u takes the locative case, not the accusative of motion.
What does the prefix za- add to the base verb vladati here?
The base imperfective verb vladati means 'to rule' or 'to reign'. Adding the prefix za- creates the perfective verb zavladati, which focuses specifically on the beginning of the action. It shifts the meaning from 'was ruling' to 'started to rule' or 'took over'.
Could I say po cijelom gradu instead of u cijelom gradu?
Yes, po cijelom gradu is a very common alternative. While u cijelom gradu means 'in the whole city', using the preposition po (which also takes the locative case here) gives the nuance of 'all over the city' or 'throughout the city'.
Learn Tama je zavladala u cijelom gradu 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