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Questions & Answers about Voda nije hladna, voda je topla.
Why is voda repeated in the sentence Voda nije hladna, voda je topla?
Repeating voda emphasizes that you’re talking about the same water in both clauses. It also avoids confusing listeners if you introduce another noun. In everyday speech you could replace the second voda with the pronoun ona or drop it altogether if you add a conjunction, for example: Voda nije hladna, nego je topla.
Why do we say nije hladna instead of just ne hladna?
In Croatian the negative particle ne always attaches directly to the verb. Here the verb is je (to be), so negation turns it into nije (is not). You cannot say ne hladna on its own because hladna is an adjective, not a verb.
Why are the adjectives hladna and topla ending in –a?
Because voda is a feminine noun in the nominative singular, adjectives describing it must agree in gender, number, and case. Feminine nominative singular adjectives take the –a ending: hladna, topla.
Could we use the neuter forms hladno or toplo instead?
No, neuter adjective forms (hladno, toplo) agree with neuter nouns like mlijeko (milk), bijelo vino (white wine). Since voda is feminine, you must use hladna and topla.
Can I connect the two clauses with a conjunction instead of a comma?
Yes. The most natural choices are:
- nego for contrasting negatives: Voda nije hladna, nego je topla.
- već also works: Voda nije hladna, već je topla.
Is there any nuance between topla and vruća?
Yes. Topla means “warm,” pleasantly or mildly high in temperature. Vruća means “hot,” often uncomfortably or strongly high in temperature. Saying voda je topla suggests it’s pleasantly warm; voda je vruća implies it might scald.
Can you drop the verb je in the second clause and just say Voda nije hladna, topla?
In very casual speech you might hear that ellipsis, but it’s considered incomplete in standard Croatian. It’s better to keep the verb: Voda nije hladna, (nego/v već) je topla.
What is the word order here, and can it change?
The basic order is Subject – Verb – Adjective (SVO with predicate adjective): Voda (S) nije (V) hladna (A); voda (S) je (V) topla (A). You can invert for emphasis: Nije hladna voda, ona je topla or drop the repeated subject: Nije hladna, nego topla. Each variant shifts the focus slightly.