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Questions & Answers about Ona uči hrvatski svaki dan.
Is the subject pronoun Ona necessary here?
No. Croatian is a “pro-drop” language, so you can omit Ona and still understand who is learning. Uči hrvatski svaki dan. is perfectly natural: the verb ending -i tells you it’s third-person singular.
What does the verb uči mean, and what is its infinitive form?
Uči is the third-person singular present tense of the imperfective verb učiti, which means “to learn” or “to study.” The infinitive is učiti.
Why is the imperfective aspect (učiti) used instead of a perfective verb?
Because it describes a habitual or ongoing action (“every day”). Perfective verbs in Croatian (like naučiti) focus on single, completed events, not repeated or continuous activities.
What’s the difference between učiti and naučiti?
Učiti (imperf.) = to be in the process of learning or studying (ongoing/habitual).
Naučiti (perf.) = to learn something to completion (to have learned).
Why is hrvatski not marked with any special ending, and why no article before it?
Language names in Croatian function like adjectives used as nouns. As the direct object (“to learn what?”), hrvatski takes the accusative masculine singular form, which is identical to its nominative form. Croatian has no articles (no “the” or “a”), so you just say hrvatski.
Do I need to say hrvatski jezik instead of just hrvatski?
You can—but it’s optional. Hrvatski jezik literally means “the Croatian language,” but speakers commonly shorten it to hrvatski when the meaning is clear.
What does svaki dan literally mean, and why isn’t it plural?
Svaki means “every,” and it modifies the singular noun dan (“day”). Together svaki dan = “every day.” You could also say svakoga dana (genitive), which is a bit more formal, but svaki dan is the everyday choice.
Can I change the word order in this sentence?
Yes. Croatian has relatively free word order. You can say:
- Ona svaki dan uči hrvatski.
- Svaki dan ona uči hrvatski.
- Uči hrvatski svaki dan.
All convey the same basic meaning, though the emphasis may shift slightly.
How do I pronounce the č in uči and hrvatski?
The letter č is pronounced like the English “ch” in “chocolate.” So uči sounds like “OO-chee”, and hrvatski like “hr-VAHTS-kee.” The h in hrvatski is a voiceless glottal fricative, similar to the “h” in English “hello,” but pronounced more softly at the back of the throat.