Breakdown of Kako je počela mećava, alpinisti su se borili protiv vjetra.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
početi
to begin
vjetar
wind
boriti se
to fight
protiv
against
kako
as, since (causal)
mećava
blizzard
alpinist
mountaineer
Questions & Answers about Kako je počela mećava, alpinisti su se borili protiv vjetra.
Wait, doesn't kako usually mean 'how'? Why is it translated as 'as' here?
At this level, you will often see kako used at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a background cause or a simultaneous event, much like 'as' or 'since' in English. Here, it sets the scene and gives the reason for the main action (alpinisti su se borili).
Why does the verb come before the subject in je počela mećava?
While Croatian word order is flexible, putting the verb before the subject is very common in subordinate clauses to introduce new information. It sounds more natural and narrative here than kako je mećava počela, drawing attention to the sudden start of the action.
Why is the word for wind vjetra instead of vjetar here?
The preposition protiv (against) always requires the genitive case. The nominative form is vjetar, but it has a 'fleeting a' in the final syllable. When adding the genitive ending -a, that inner -a- disappears, making it vjetra.
How do the verb aspects work together in this sentence?
This sentence perfectly contrasts two aspects. The blizzard starting (počela) is a single, completed trigger event, so it uses a perfective verb. The mountaineers fighting the wind (borili se) is an ongoing, continuous struggle that happened as a result, so it uses an imperfective verb.
Learn Kako je počela mećava, alpinisti su se borili protiv vjetra 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