Word
On je Ivan.
Meaning
He is Ivan.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about On je Ivan.
What does On mean here?
On is the 3rd person singular masculine pronoun in the nominative case, meaning he. It functions as the explicit subject.
What does je mean here?
Je is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb biti (to be), meaning is.
What case is Ivan in?
Ivan is in the nominative case. In Croatian, both the subject and the predicate noun after a form of biti remain in the nominative.
Why do we include On if Croatian often drops subject pronouns?
Croatian is a pro-drop language, so “je Ivan” would already tell you “he is Ivan.” You include On for emphasis, contrast, or clarity – for example, “He (not someone else) is Ivan.”
Could you say Je Ivan to mean “He is Ivan”?
No. Starting with a verb in a neutral declarative sentence without inversion isn’t standard. You could say On je Ivan (“He is Ivan”) or invert to a question, e.g. Je li on Ivan? (“Is he Ivan?”), but Je Ivan alone isn’t correct.