Njegovo Veličanstvo mora odobriti taj potez.

Njegovo Veličanstvo literally means His Majesty.

Grammatically:

• njegovo = his
• veličanstvo = majesty

So it is a possessive adjective plus a noun, just like in English.

A key difference is that in Croatian, njegovo must agree with the noun Veličanstvo in gender, number, and case.

Because Veličanstvo is a neuter singular noun.

Croatian possessive forms agree with the noun they describe:

• masculine: njegov
• feminine: njegova
• neuter: njegovo

Since Veličanstvo is neuter, the correct form is njegovo Veličanstvo.

Because grammatical gender and real-life gender are not always the same thing.

Veličanstvo is grammatically a neuter noun, even when it refers to a king or emperor. Croatian follows the grammar of the noun itself, not the biological sex of the person.

So:

• Njegovo Veličanstvo mora... = correct
• the verb is singular because the noun phrase is singular

This is similar to how some nouns in other languages have fixed grammatical gender regardless of who they refer to.

It is capitalized because it is being used as a formal title: His Majesty.

In Croatian, titles and honorific expressions referring directly to a specific high-ranking person are often capitalized in formal usage:

• Njegovo Veličanstvo
• Vaša Ekscelencijo

So the capitalization here reflects respectful, official style.

Mora is the 3rd person singular present tense of morati = must / have to.

It is singular because the subject Njegovo Veličanstvo is grammatically singular.

So:

• ja moram = I must
• ti moraš = you must
• on/ona/ono mora = he/she/it must

Here, Njegovo Veličanstvo behaves like a singular third-person subject, so mora is the correct form.

Because morati is a modal verb, and modal verbs in Croatian are commonly followed by an infinitive.

Structure:

• mora odobriti = must approve

This works like English:

• must approve
• has to approve

So the pattern is:

• subject + morati
  • infinitive

Example:

• Kralj mora čekati. = The king must wait.
• Njegovo Veličanstvo mora odobriti taj potez. = His Majesty must approve that move/step.

Because after mora, Croatian normally uses the infinitive.

• odobriti = to approve (infinitive)
• odobrava = approves / is approving (finite verb form)

So:

• mora odobriti = must approve
• not mora odobrava

That would be like saying in English must approves, which is ungrammatical.

Because taj potez is the direct object of odobriti, and potez is a masculine inanimate noun.

For masculine inanimate nouns:

• nominative singular = accusative singular

So:

• nominative: taj potez
• accusative: taj potez

If it were a masculine animate noun, the accusative would usually look different.

That is why the sentence uses:

• odobriti taj potez = approve that move/step

Potez literally means move, step, or action, depending on context.

Common uses:

• in chess: move
• in politics or strategy: step, measure, action
• in a broader sense: a deliberate decision or maneuver

So in this sentence, taj potez probably means something like:

• that move
• that step
• that action

The exact English wording depends on context.

Yes, Croatian word order is more flexible than English, and that version is also possible.

Original:

• Njegovo Veličanstvo mora odobriti taj potez.

Alternative:

• Taj potez mora odobriti Njegovo Veličanstvo.

Both are grammatical, but the emphasis changes:

• starting with Njegovo Veličanstvo highlights who must approve it
• starting with Taj potez highlights what must be approved

So Croatian word order often helps express emphasis or style, not just basic grammar.

A rough pronunciation guide for an English speaker:

• Njegovo ≈ NYEH-go-vo
• Veličanstvo ≈ veh-lee-CHAN-stvo
• mora ≈ MO-ra
• odobriti ≈ o-do-BREE-ti
• taj ≈ tie
• potez ≈ PO-tez

A few useful sound notes:

• nj is like the ny in canyon
• č sounds like ch in church
• Croatian stress can vary, but pronouncing clearly and keeping vowels pure is more important for beginners than perfect stress

Yes. Once the reference is clear, Croatian would often use a pronoun or simply omit the subject if the verb already makes it clear enough.

For example:

• Njegovo Veličanstvo mora odobriti taj potez.
• Mora ga odobriti. = He/His Majesty must approve it.

Croatian often drops subject pronouns because the verb form already carries person and number information. However, using the full title keeps the tone formal and respectful.