Questions & Answers about Sud je u gradu.
Why is there je in the sentence?
Je is the 3rd person singular present form of the verb biti (to be).
So:
- sud = court
- je = is
- u gradu = in the city / in town
Croatian often uses forms of biti exactly where English uses am / is / are.
So Sud je u gradu is structurally very close to The court is in the city.
What case is gradu, and why is it not grad?
Gradu is in the locative singular.
The preposition u usually takes:
- locative when it means in / inside / at a place
- accusative when it means into a place, showing movement
So:
- u gradu = in the city / in town → location, so locative
- u grad = into the city / into town → movement, so accusative
That is why the sentence uses gradu, not grad.
Why does u mean in here? I thought it could also mean into.