Breakdown of Čovjek je velik, a vi ste mali.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
a
and / but
velik
big
čovjek
man
vi
you
mali
small
Questions & Answers about Čovjek je velik, a vi ste mali.
Why do we use ste after vi?
vi means you when talking to multiple people, or formally to one person. Because it is a plural pronoun, it must be paired with the matching plural verb for are, which is ste.
Why does this sentence use a instead of i for the word and?
While i means and for linking similar things together, a is used to show a contrast (often translated as and, but, or while). Since the sentence contrasts a big man with small people, a is the correct choice here.
Why is the word for small mali?
Adjectives must match the word they describe. Because vi (you) is plural here, the adjective takes the plural ending -i (assuming a group of males or a mixed group), making it mali.
Why does velik end in a consonant, but mali ends in a vowel?
velik describes čovjek (man), which is a single male. Masculine singular adjectives usually end in a consonant. mali describes the plural vi, and masculine plural adjectives end in the vowel -i.
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