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Questions & Answers about Sara pije kavu.
Why is the noun kava in this sentence changed to kavu?
kavu is the accusative singular form of the feminine noun kava because it's the direct object of the verb piti (to drink). In Croatian, most feminine nouns ending in -a take -u in the accusative case.
What tense and person is pije, and what is its infinitive?
pije is the third person singular present tense of the verb piti (infinitive), meaning “to drink.” It tells us that Sara (she) is currently or habitually drinking.
Why are there no articles like a or the before kavu?
Croatian does not use articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is implied by context or added words (for example, demonstratives like ta kava “that coffee” or possessives like moja kava “my coffee”).
Could we include a pronoun like ona (“she”) in the sentence?
Yes—Ona pije kavu is grammatically correct—but Croatian usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending -e already indicates third person singular. Adding ona adds emphasis or clarity.
What case is Sara in, and why doesn’t it change form?
Sara is in the nominative case because it's the subject. Proper names in the nominative often look identical to their citation form, so Sara stays Sara.
Can we change the word order in Sara pije kavu, and if so, what changes in meaning?
Yes. Croatian word order is flexible due to case marking:
- Kavu pije Sara emphasizes coffee or contrasts who is drinking.
- Pije Sara kavu emphasizes the action of drinking. The neutral order is Subject–Verb–Object: Sara pije kavu.
What is the aspect of the verb piti in pije, and why does it matter?
piti is imperfective, focusing on an ongoing or habitual action. To express a one-time, completed action you’d use the perfective form popiti (past participle), for example: Sara je popila kavu (“Sara drank/has drunk the coffee”).
Can you omit Sara and just say Pije kavu? What would that mean?
Yes. Pije kavu without an explicit subject still means “(She/He) is drinking coffee,” but it’s ambiguous who. The context must supply the subject.
How would you say “They drink coffee” in Croatian, and what changes in the verb?
You would say Oni piju kavu (for a group that is male or mixed) or One piju kavu (for an all-female group). The verb changes to third person plural: piju instead of pije.