Ova kvalifikacija je važna.

Breakdown of Ova kvalifikacija je važna.

biti
to be
važan
important
ovaj
this
kvalifikacija
qualification

Questions & Answers about Ova kvalifikacija je važna.

What does each word in Ova kvalifikacija je važna. mean?
  • ova = this
  • kvalifikacija = qualification
  • je = is
  • važna = important

So the full sentence means This qualification is important.

Why is it ova and not ovaj or ovo?

Because kvalifikacija is a feminine singular noun, and the demonstrative ovaj / ova / ovo must agree with it.

The forms are:

  • ovaj = masculine singular
  • ova = feminine singular
  • ovo = neuter singular

Since kvalifikacija is feminine, you use ova.

Why does važna end in -a?

For the same reason: agreement.

The adjective važan means important, but its form changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes.

Here are the singular forms:

  • važan = masculine
  • važna = feminine
  • važno = neuter

Because kvalifikacija is feminine singular, the correct form is važna.

What case is kvalifikacija in here?

It is in the nominative singular.

That is because kvalifikacija is the subject of the sentence: This qualification is important.

In simple statements like this, the subject is normally in the nominative.

Why is je used? Can Croatian leave out is?

In this sentence, je is the 3rd person singular present form of biti = to be.

Croatian normally does use the verb to be in sentences like this:

  • Ova kvalifikacija je važna. = This qualification is important.

So unlike in some languages, you generally do not leave out je here in standard Croatian.

Why is the word order Ova kvalifikacija je važna?

This is the most neutral and natural word order for a basic statement:

  • subject: ova kvalifikacija
  • verb: je
  • predicate adjective: važna

Croatian word order is more flexible than English, so other orders are possible, for example:

  • Važna je ova kvalifikacija.
  • Ova je kvalifikacija važna.

But those may sound more marked, emphatic, or context-dependent. The original order is the safest default.

Is kvalifikacija always feminine?

Yes, kvalifikacija is a feminine noun.

A lot of Croatian nouns ending in -a are feminine, though not absolutely all. In this case, kvalifikacija is definitely feminine, which is why both ova and važna are feminine too.

How do I pronounce Ova kvalifikacija je važna?

A rough English-friendly guide is:

OH-vah kva-lee-fee-kah-TSI-yah yeh VAZH-nah

A few useful notes:

  • j is pronounced like English y
  • ž sounds like the s in measure
  • cija in kvalifikacija is pronounced roughly tsi-ya

So:

  • ova ≈ OH-vah
  • kvalifikacija ≈ kva-lee-fee-kah-TSI-yah
  • je ≈ yeh
  • važna ≈ VAZH-nah
Could I also say Ta kvalifikacija je važna or Ona kvalifikacija je važna?

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

  • ova kvalifikacija = this qualification
  • ta kvalifikacija = that qualification or sometimes that qualification you mentioned / that specific qualification
  • ona kvalifikacija = that qualification over there / that one

So if you specifically mean this qualification, ova is the correct choice.

Why is važna after je instead of before the noun?

Because in this sentence važna is part of the predicate:
This qualification is important.

So the structure is:

  • Ova kvalifikacija = the subject
  • je važna = is important

If you put the adjective before the noun, you get a different structure:

  • važna kvalifikacija = an important qualification

So:

  • Ova kvalifikacija je važna. = This qualification is important.
  • Ova važna kvalifikacija... = This important qualification...
Can I drop ova and just say Kvalifikacija je važna?

Yes.

  • Kvalifikacija je važna. = The qualification is important or A qualification is important, depending on context
  • Ova kvalifikacija je važna. = This qualification is important

Adding ova makes the noun more specific and points to a particular qualification.

Is there anything special about the position of je?

Yes. Je is a clitic, which means it tends to appear in a special early position in the sentence, often called second position.

That is why Croatian often prefers patterns like:

  • Ova kvalifikacija je važna.
  • Ova je kvalifikacija važna.

You usually do not place je completely freely. Learners do not need to master all clitic rules immediately, but it is good to know that short forms like je have placement rules.

How would this change if the noun were masculine or neuter?

The demonstrative and adjective would change to match the noun.

For example:

  • masculine: Ovaj dokument je važan.
    = This document is important.

  • neuter: Ovo pravilo je važno.
    = This rule is important.

Compare with your sentence:

  • feminine: Ova kvalifikacija je važna.

This is a very important Croatian pattern: words that go with the noun must agree in gender, number, and often case.

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