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Learn Hardcore Croatian: Skriveni nedostatak je ozbiljan. - The latent defect is serious.

Hardcore Croatian
/Reviewing an apartment renovation contract
/Skriveni nedostatak je ozbiljan.

Skriveni nedostatak je ozbiljan.

Word

Skriveni nedostatak je ozbiljan.

Meaning

The latent defect is serious.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Croatian

Lesson

Reviewing an apartment renovation contract

Breakdown of Skriveni nedostatak je ozbiljan.

skriveni nedostatak

a latent defect

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Questions & Answers about Skriveni nedostatak je ozbiljan.

What does each word do in Skriveni nedostatak je ozbiljan?

skriveni = hidden
nedostatak = defect, flaw, shortcoming
je = is
ozbiljan = serious

So the structure is:

[adjective] + [noun] + [is] + [adjective]

Literally: Hidden defect is serious.
Natural English: The hidden defect is serious.

Why is there no word for the in this sentence?

Croatian has no articles, so there is no direct equivalent of the or a/an.

That means nedostatak can mean:

a defect
the defect

Which one is meant depends on context. In this sentence, English would often translate it as the hidden defect is serious, but Croatian does not need a separate word for the.

Why is it skriveni and not skriven?

Because the adjective has to match the noun nedostatak.

Here, nedostatak is:

masculine
singular
nominative case

So the adjective before it appears as skriveni to agree with it.

A useful learner rule is:

adjectives in front of nouns must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case

So:

skriveni nedostatak = hidden defect
both words are masculine singular nominative here

How do I know nedostatak is masculine?

You usually learn the gender together with the noun.

Nedostatak is a masculine noun. Many Croatian masculine nouns in the dictionary form end in a consonant, and nedostatak does too.

Because it is masculine singular, the adjectives around it also appear in masculine singular forms:

skriveni
ozbiljan

Why is je used here?

Je is the 3rd person singular present form of biti (to be).

So:

ja sam = I am
ti si = you are
on/ona/ono je = he/she/it is

In this sentence, nedostatak is singular, so Croatian uses je:

Nedostatak je ozbiljan.
The defect is serious.

Unlike in some Slavic languages, Croatian normally does use the present tense of to be in sentences like this.

Why is ozbiljan not ozbiljni?

Here ozbiljan is a predicate adjective, meaning it comes after je and describes the subject:

nedostatak je ozbiljan = the defect is serious

This is the normal form you should learn and use here.

A practical learner takeaway:

before the noun: skriveni nedostatak
after je: nedostatak je ozbiljan

So even though both adjectives describe the same noun, their exact forms are not always identical.

Is the word order fixed?

Not completely. Croatian word order is more flexible than English, though some versions sound more neutral than others.

The most neutral order here is:

Skriveni nedostatak je ozbiljan.

You might also see:

Nedostatak je ozbiljan. = The defect is serious.
Ozbiljan je skriveni nedostatak. = more marked or stylistic, often for emphasis

For a learner, the safest default is:

subject + je + adjective or
adjective + noun + je + adjective, as in this sentence

Could I also say Nedostatak je skriven?

Yes, but it means something different.

Skriveni nedostatak je ozbiljan. = The hidden defect is serious.
Nedostatak je skriven. = The defect is hidden.

In the original sentence, skriveni is part of the noun phrase skriveni nedostatak. It identifies what kind of defect we are talking about.

In Nedostatak je skriven, skriven is the main description after je.

So compare:

skriveni nedostatak = hidden defect
nedostatak je skriven = the defect is hidden

What case is being used here?

The main noun phrase skriveni nedostatak is in the nominative singular because it is the subject of the sentence.

So:

skriveni = masculine singular nominative
nedostatak = masculine singular nominative

The adjective ozbiljan also agrees with the subject because it describes it.

A good beginner rule:

the subject of a sentence is usually in the nominative

How is nedostatak declined in other cases?

It is useful to know the nominative here, but learners often want to see how the noun changes.

Singular:

nominative: nedostatak
genitive: nedostatka
dative: nedostatku
accusative: nedostatak
vocative: nedostatku
locative: nedostatku
instrumental: nedostatkom

So in this sentence, you are seeing the basic dictionary form: nedostatak.

How do I pronounce this sentence?

A simple approximate pronunciation is:

SKREE-veh-nee neh-doh-STAH-tak yeh ohz-BEEL-yahn

A few helpful notes:

skr at the start of skriveni can feel tricky for English speakers
je sounds like ye
lj in Croatian is a special sound, but ozbiljan has lj pronounced roughly like ly in careful learner approximation
Croatian spelling is quite regular, so words are usually pronounced close to how they are written

Can nedostatak mean something other than defect?

Yes. Depending on context, nedostatak can mean:

defect
flaw
shortcoming
lack

Examples:

nedostatak novca = lack of money
glavni nedostatak = main flaw
skriveni nedostatak = hidden defect

So the best translation depends on the situation. In legal, technical, or product-related contexts, defect is often a very good choice.

Is this sentence something I might hear in a legal or technical context?

Yes, very likely.

Skriveni nedostatak is a common phrase in formal contexts, especially:

law
contracts
sales
property
product defects

It often refers to a hidden defect that was not obvious at the time of purchase or inspection.

So while the grammar is basic, the phrase itself can sound fairly formal or specialized depending on context.

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