Breakdown of Kupili smo, između ostaloga, novi stol.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
stol
table
nov
new
kupiti
to buy (perfective)
između ostaloga
among other things
Questions & Answers about Kupili smo, između ostaloga, novi stol.
Why does the Croatian phrase use the singular ostaloga when the English translation says "among other things" (plural)?
In Croatian, the neuter word ostalo acts as a noun representing a general concept meaning "the rest" or "that which remains". The preposition između requires the genitive case, which changes ostalo to ostaloga. Literally, the phrase translates closer to "among the rest" rather than using a plural noun for "things".
Is there a difference between saying između ostaloga and između ostalog?
No, they mean exactly the same thing. The final -a in ostaloga is an optional vowel that makes the word sound a bit more formal or rhythmic in written text. In everyday speech, you will very frequently hear the shorter version, između ostalog.
Since "a new table" is the direct object being bought, why doesn't novi stol look like it's in the accusative case?
It is actually in the accusative case, but it looks identical to the nominative! Stol is a masculine noun, and for inanimate masculine objects (non-living things), the accusative form is exactly the same as the nominative. If they had bought an animate object, like a dog, the ending would change (e.g., novog psa).
Could I use the indefinite adjective nov (nov stol) instead of the definite novi (novi stol) here?
Grammatically, yes, because you are introducing "a" new table. However, in modern, everyday Croatian, the distinction between definite and indefinite adjectives is fading in the nominative and inanimate accusative cases. The definite -i ending (novi) has essentially become the default, so novi stol sounds much more natural.
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