Questions & Answers about Odvodno crijevo je dugo.
Why is dugo used here instead of dug or duga?
Because dugo has to agree with crijevo, which is a neuter singular noun.
The adjective dug changes form depending on the noun:
- dug = masculine singular
- duga = feminine singular
- dugo = neuter singular
So:
- kabel je dug = the cable is long
- cijev je duga = the pipe is long
- crijevo je dugo = the hose is long
Here, crijevo is neuter, so dugo is the correct form.
What is the role of odvodno in this sentence?
Odvodno is an adjective modifying crijevo.
Its dictionary form is odvodni, meaning something like:
- drain
- drainage
- outlet
Because it describes crijevo, it also has to agree with it in gender, number, and case. Since crijevo is neuter singular nominative, odvodni becomes odvodno.
So odvodno crijevo means drain hose or drainage hose.
What case is crijevo in here?
It is in the nominative singular.
Why? Because it is the subject of the sentence — the thing being described:
- Odvodno crijevo = the drain hose
- je dugo = is long
The sentence is telling us something about the hose, so the noun stays in the nominative.
What exactly does je mean here?
Je is the 3rd person singular present tense of biti, which means to be.
So here it means is.
- je = is
This is a very common pattern in Croatian:
- X je Y = X is Y
For example:
- Voda je hladna. = The water is cold.
- Auto je novo. = The car is new.
- Odvodno crijevo je dugo. = The drain hose is long.
Why is there no word for the in Croatian?
Because Croatian does not use articles like a, an, or the.
So crijevo can mean:
- a hose
- the hose
Which one is meant depends on the context.
That means Odvodno crijevo je dugo could be understood as:
- The drain hose is long
- or A drain hose is long
In real use, the situation usually makes the meaning clear.
Is dugo here an adjective or an adverb?
Here it is an adjective, not an adverb.
It is describing the noun crijevo, and it agrees with that noun in form.
Compare:
- Crijevo je dugo.
Here dugo = long and describes crijevo
But:
- Dugo čekam.
Here dugo is an adverb meaning for a long time
So the same form can have different functions, but in this sentence it is clearly an adjective because it matches the neuter noun crijevo.
Is crijevo the normal word for hose?
Yes, crijevo is a normal word for a flexible hose/tube.
It can also mean intestine/gut in other contexts, so context matters.
A useful comparison is:
- crijevo = hose, flexible tubing
- cijev = pipe, tube, usually more rigid
So for something like a washing machine drain hose, odvodno crijevo is very natural.
Can the word order be changed?
Yes, Croatian word order is more flexible than English, but the given order is the most neutral and natural:
- Odvodno crijevo je dugo.
This is the straightforward subject + verb + complement order.
You may sometimes see other orders for emphasis, for example:
- Dugo je odvodno crijevo.
That would put more focus on dugo, but it is more marked. For a learner, the original sentence is the best basic pattern to remember.
Can je be left out?
Normally, in a full standard sentence like this, no.
Croatian usually keeps the present tense of biti in this kind of sentence:
- Crijevo je dugo.
Leaving it out would sound incomplete in normal standard usage.
You might see omission in:
- headlines
- labels
- notes
- very informal fragments
But as a normal sentence, je should stay.
What is the basic dictionary form of the words in this sentence?
The dictionary forms are:
- odvodni = drain, drainage
- crijevo = hose / tube
- biti = to be
- dug = long
In the sentence, some of those forms change:
- odvodni → odvodno to match neuter crijevo
- dug → dugo to match neuter crijevo
- biti → je because it means is
So this sentence is a good example of how Croatian adjectives change to agree with the noun they describe.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning CroatianMaster Croatian — from Odvodno crijevo je dugo to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions