Questions & Answers about Gdje su torbe i olovke?
How do we form the plural for torbe and olovke?
Both words are regular feminine nouns that end in -a in the singular (torba for bag, olovka for pencil). To make them plural, you simply replace the -a with an -e.
Why do we use su instead of je in this sentence?
su is the plural form of the verb to be (are). Because we are asking about multiple items (bags and pencils), we use the plural form. If we were asking about a single bag, we would use the singular form: Gdje je torba?
Does the letter k in olovka change when we make it plural?
No, it stays a k. In Croatian, some masculine plurals force a consonant change (like k becoming c). But for feminine nouns making their plural with -e, the consonants are left completely alone. olovka simply becomes olovke.
Why does su come right after Gdje?
In Croatian, short verb forms like su are called enclitics, meaning they generally must take the second position in a sentence. Since the question word Gdje (Where) naturally takes the first spot, su jumps into the second spot right behind it, before the nouns are even mentioned.