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Questions & Answers about Mi smo dobri prijatelji.
Why is the subject pronoun mi used here? It seems redundant in English.
Croatian is a pro-drop language: the person and number are indicated by the verb ending. The pronoun mi can be omitted unless you want to add emphasis or clarity.
What does smo mean in this sentence?
smo is the first-person plural present-tense form of the verb biti (to be). It corresponds to English “are” in “we are.”
Why is the adjective dobri used here instead of dobro or dobrih?
Adjectives in Croatian agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. prijatelji is masculine-animate plural in the nominative case, so the adjective dobar changes to dobri.
What is the grammatical case of prijatelji and why?
prijatelji is in the nominative plural masculine-animate case because it is the subject of the sentence (“Who are we? Friends.”).
Why are there no words for “the” or “a” before dobri prijatelji?
Croatian has no articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is understood from context, so you don’t use “a” or “the.”
Can we drop mi and still say the same thing?
Yes. The verb ending -mo in smo already shows first-person plural. You can omit the pronoun and say Dobri smo prijatelji or even Smo dobri prijatelji, though Dobri smo prijatelji is more natural.
Can we change the word order, for example put the adjective after the verb?
Yes. The usual order is Subject–Verb–Predicate, but Croatian allows flexibility for emphasis. You can say Mi smo dobri prijatelji or Dobri smo prijatelji. Placing the adjective after the noun (e.g. Mi smo prijatelji dobri) is grammatically possible but sounds poetic or marked.
How would you make this sentence negative?
Insert ne before the verb: Mi nismo dobri prijatelji (“We are not good friends.”)
How do you turn it into a question, as in “Are we good friends?”
Use the question particle li or just intonation. The neutral form is Jesmo li dobri prijatelji? You can also say Smo li mi dobri prijatelji? for emphasis on “we.”
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