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Questions & Answers about Ovo je voda.
What part of speech is ovo and how is it used in this sentence?
Ovo is a demonstrative pronoun in the nominative singular. It means “this” and points to something close to the speaker. In Ovo je voda, it introduces what “this” refers to.
What case is voda in, and why?
Voda is in the nominative singular because it’s the predicate noun in a simple identification sentence (“This is water”). In Croatian, predicate nouns after biti (to be) also take the nominative.
Why is there no word for “a” or “the” before voda?
Croatian does not have indefinite or definite articles like English a or the. Nouns stand alone, and specificity or indefiniteness is inferred from context or added words (e.g., neka voda for “some water”).
Why is the verb je used instead of jeste?
Je is the standard third-person singular present form of biti (to be). Jeste can also appear in certain dialects or for emphasis/question tags, but in a neutral declarative sentence you use je.
How do you pronounce Ovo je voda?
You pronounce it roughly as O-vo yeh VO-da. Stress typically falls on the first syllable of ovo and on “vo” in voda: ˈɔ.ʋɔ jɛ ˈʋɔ.da.
Can you change the word order to Voda je ovo?
Yes, Croatian word order is relatively flexible due to case marking. Voda je ovo is grammatically correct but less natural—it would emphasize voda (“It is water that this is”), whereas Ovo je voda is the neutral way to say “This is water.”
What’s the difference between ovo and to?
Both are demonstrative pronouns. Ovo (“this”) refers to something near the speaker. To (“that”) generally points to something farther away or more abstract. So To je voda could mean “That is water,” but you’d reach for ovo if the water is right in front of you.
What gender is voda, and does it affect anything here?
Voda is feminine. In this sentence it doesn’t change the form of je, but if you added adjectives or past participles, they would agree in feminine singular (e.g., hladna voda – “cold water,” with hladna in feminine form).