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Questions & Answers about On pije kavu.
What does On mean in this sentence?
On is the 3rd person singular masculine pronoun in Croatian. It corresponds to he in English and functions as the subject.
What is the infinitive form of pije, and what does it mean?
The verb pije comes from the infinitive piti, which means to drink.
What tense and aspect is pije, and how should I translate it?
Pije is in the present tense and imperfective aspect, 3rd person singular. You can translate it as he drinks or he is drinking, depending on context.
What part of speech is kavu, and what does it refer to?
Kavu is a noun in the accusative case, singular form of kava, meaning coffee. Here it’s the direct object of the verb pije.
Why is it kavu instead of kava?
In Croatian, the nominative (dictionary) form is kava. When you use it as a direct object, you change it to the accusative case, which for feminine nouns like kava becomes kavu.
Do I need to use articles like a or the in Croatian?
No. Croatian does not have definite or indefinite articles. You simply say On pije kavu for “He drinks coffee” without adding a or the.
Can we drop the pronoun On since the verb ending already shows who is acting?
Yes. In Croatian, verb endings encode person and number. You can say Pije kavu and it still means He drinks coffee. Including On adds emphasis or clarity.
Is word order flexible in Croatian? Could I say Pije on kavu?
Yes. Because of case endings, word order is more flexible than in English. Pije on kavu is grammatically correct but places extra emphasis on on (i.e. “It’s he who’s drinking coffee”).
How do I pronounce pije and kavu?
Pronounce pije as [PEE-yeh], with j like the y in yes. Pronounce kavu as [KAH-voo], with a as in father and u as in flute.
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