Learn Croatian: Ova apstraktna instalacija nema značenje. - This abstract installation has no meaning.

Ova apstraktna instalacija nema značenje.

This abstract installation has no meaning.

Breakdown of Ova apstraktna instalacija nema značenje.

ovaj

this (m) / ova (f), ovo (n)

Questions & Answers about Ova apstraktna instalacija nema značenje.

Why is značenje in the accusative case here? Doesn't the negative verb nema require the genitive case?

You are thinking of the genitive of negation, which is very common with nemati (like saying nema vremena). However, using the accusative značenje is also completely correct and common in modern Croatian. The accusative feels slightly more specific, while the genitive značenja would emphasize a total lack of any meaning whatsoever.

Since this lesson is about niti, how would I add "nor does it have a purpose" to the end of this sentence?

You would write: Ova apstraktna instalacija nema značenje, niti ima svrhu. The key rule here is that niti independently negates the new clause, so the verb following it must be in the positive form (ima) rather than negative.

Is the word instalacija strictly used for art installations in Croatian?

No, it is just as versatile as in English. Besides modern art, instalacija is commonly used for software installation and for building utilities, such as electrical or plumbing systems (often used in the plural, like električne instalacije).

What happens to the spelling of the adjective apstraktan when it modifies the feminine noun instalacija?