Note
Mačka is feminine, therefore mali becomes mala.
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Questions & Answers about Mačka je mala.
Why is there no word for the article the or a in Mačka je mala?
Croatian does not use definite or indefinite articles like the or a. Definiteness and indefiniteness are inferred from context. So Mačka je mala can mean “The cat is small” or “A cat is small,” depending on the situation.
What case and number is mačka in, and why?
Mačka is in the nominative singular case because it’s the subject of the sentence. In Croatian, the subject of a clause typically appears in the nominative.
Why does the adjective mala end with -a?
Adjectives in Croatian agree with their nouns in gender, number, and case. Since mačka is feminine singular nominative, the adjective takes the feminine singular nominative ending -a, producing mala.
What is je, and why is it used here?
Je is the third-person singular present tense of the verb biti (“to be”). It links the subject mačka (“cat”) with the adjective mala (“small”), so Mačka je mala literally means “Cat is small.”
How would I say “Cats are small” instead?
You put both noun and adjective into the nominative plural and use the plural of . That gives: • (feminine nominative plural of )• (third-person plural present of )• (feminine nominative plural of )So: