Ne samo da jede mokru hranu nego i granule.

It means not only ... but also ....

So:

• Ne samo da jede mokru hranu nego i granule.
• She/He not only eats wet food but also kibble/dry food.

This is a very common structure in Croatian for adding emphasis.

In this sentence, da introduces a finite clause, similar to how English says not only does it eat... or not only that it eats... in structure, though the English wording is different.

So:

• ne samo da jede ... = not only does he/she eat ...

Croatian often uses ne samo da + verb when the first part contains a full clause.

Compare:

• Ne samo da jede mokru hranu... = Not only does it eat wet food...
• Ne samo mokru hranu... = Not only wet food...

The version with da sounds fuller because it includes the whole clause.

Jede is the 3rd person singular present tense of jesti (to eat).

It can mean:

• he eats
• she eats
• it eats

Croatian usually drops subject pronouns unless needed for emphasis, so there is no separate word for he/she/it here.

So jede by itself already tells you the subject is singular third person.

Because it is the direct object of the verb jesti (to eat), so it goes into the accusative case.

Base form:

• mokra hrana = wet food

In the accusative:

• mokru hranu

Both words change because:

• mokra → mokru
• hrana → hranu

This is a normal feminine singular accusative pattern for many adjectives and nouns.

Granule is already in a form that works here as the direct object.

The noun granule is plural, and for this noun the nominative plural and accusative plural look the same:

• nominative: granule
• accusative: granule

So even though it is also an object, there is no visible change in form.

Yes, in a way. The verb jede is understood again, but Croatian does not need to repeat it.

So the full underlying meaning is:

• Ne samo da jede mokru hranu nego i jede granule.

But repeating jede would sound unnecessary here. Croatian, like English, often leaves out repeated words:

• not only eats wet food but also kibble

So nego i granule is perfectly natural.

In this pattern, nego i is part of the full contrast/addition structure:

• ne samo ... nego i ...
• not only ... but also ...

Here:

• nego = roughly but/rather
• i = also

Together, they give the meaning but also.

Using only i would not create the same balanced structure.

Both can sometimes be translated as but, but they are not always interchangeable.

In this sentence, nego is the natural choice because it belongs to the set phrase:

• ne samo ... nego i ...

You would not normally say:

• Ne samo da jede mokru hranu ali i granule. ❌

That sounds wrong or unnatural.

So this is an important chunk to learn as a fixed pattern:

• ne samo ... nego i ...

In this context, granule usually means kibble, dry pet food, or pellets.

Since the sentence also mentions mokru hranu (wet food), this strongly suggests pet food:

• mokra hrana = wet food
• granule = dry food / kibble

Yes, Croatian word order is somewhat flexible, but not every version sounds equally natural.

The original:

• Ne samo da jede mokru hranu nego i granule.

is natural and clear.

You may also see similar variants in other contexts, but for learners it is best to remember this standard pattern:

• Ne samo da ... nego i ...

Changing the order too much can sound awkward or change the emphasis.

Word-for-word, parts of it may look like that, but that is not the best English translation.

A natural English translation is:

• He/She/It eats not only wet food but also kibble.
• Not only does he/she/it eat wet food, but also kibble.

So when reading Croatian, it is better to understand the structure as a whole rather than translating each word mechanically.

It is generally neutral and very common. You can use it in:

• everyday speech
• writing
• descriptions
• emphasis in conversation

It is not especially formal. It is just a standard way to say not only ... but also ... in Croatian.