Questions & Answers about Dijete ima nov bicikl.
Why do we use ima here instead of imati?
Imati is the basic dictionary form meaning to have. Since our subject is dijete (the child, which is a neuter noun treated as an it), we use the third-person singular form, which is ima (has).
The verb imati requires the accusative case for its object, so why do nov and bicikl just look like their basic dictionary forms?
You are right that imati forces the following object into the accusative case! However, bicikl is a masculine non-living object. In Croatian, the accusative form for masculine non-living nouns looks exactly the same as the basic dictionary form. The adjective nov also copies this rule to match the noun.
Why is the word for new nov and not nova or novo?
Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because bicikl is a masculine noun, we use the masculine form nov. If the object were feminine, like a book (knjiga), we would use nova.
How do I change this sentence to say the child does not have a new bicycle?
You use the special negative verb nemati (to not have). The form for he/she/it is nema. So, the negative sentence is simply: Dijete nema nov bicikl.
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