Breakdown of Njezina djeca školuju se u inozemstvu.
dijete
child
u
in, into
njezin
her
inozemstvo
abroad, foreign countries
školovati se
to be educated, to go to school
Questions & Answers about Njezina djeca školuju se u inozemstvu.
Why does the possessive Njezina look like a feminine singular adjective when djeca means 'children'?
The word djeca is a collective noun. It declines exactly like a feminine singular noun, which is why it takes the feminine singular modifier Njezina. However, it takes a plural verb (školuju), and if this were in the past tense, it would take neuter plural agreement (su se školovala). This mixed agreement is a classic Croatian grammar quirk to watch out for!
Why is the reflexive pronoun se placed after the verb (školuju se) instead of immediately after the subject Njezina djeca?
While enclitics like se usually take the second position in a sentence, multi-word subjects like Njezina djeca can optionally be treated as a separate introductory phrase. When this happens, the verb školuju counts as the first word of the core sentence, pushing se right after it. Saying Njezina djeca se školuju is also completely correct and very common.
Why use the reflexive verb školuju se instead of just saying they go to school (idu u školu)?
The verb školovati se is a slightly more formal term that means to get an education or to undergo schooling. It is commonly used when discussing someone's overall educational path, studying abroad, or going to university. Using idu u školu would sound more like the physical daily commute to a specific school building.
Why is inozemstvo (abroad) in the locative case here (u inozemstvu)?
The preposition u takes the locative case for a static location (where something happens) and the accusative case for motion towards a destination. Because the children are already living and getting their education there, it is considered a static state, requiring the locative u inozemstvu. If they were traveling abroad, you would use the accusative u inozemstvo.
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