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Questions & Answers about Oni uče engleski svaki dan.
What does oni mean, and can I drop it?
oni means “they” (third-person plural). In Croatian, verbs already indicate person and number, so you often omit subject pronouns. You can say simply Uče engleski svaki dan and, if context is clear, it will still mean “They study English every day.” You keep oni only for emphasis or to avoid ambiguity.
What is uče, and what is its infinitive?
uče is the third-person plural present tense of the verb učiti.
- Infinitive: učiti (to learn/study).
- Conjugation (present tense):
• ja učim
• ti učiš
• on/ona/ono uči
• mi učimo
• vi učite
• oni/one/ona uče
Why isn’t there a reflexive pronoun se with učiti?
Here učiti is used transitively (student is the subject, language is the direct object). You simply say učiti + Accusative. Adding se would turn it into a passive or change the meaning. Standard Croatian uses učiti for “to learn/study” without se.
What is engleski, and why does it not change form?
engleski is originally an adjective (“English”), used substantively to mean “English (language).” Grammatically it behaves like a masculine inanimate noun derived from an adjective. In the singular:
- Nominative: engleski
- Accusative: engleski
Inanimate masculine nouns share the same form in both cases, so you don’t see any ending change.
Why is it svaki dan and not svakog dana?
Both express “every day,” but use different case patterns:
- svaki dan is the accusative of time (masculine inanimate, identical form to nominative).
- svakog dana is the genitive of time.
Both are correct; svaki dan is very common in speech, while svakog dana might sound a bit more formal or literary.
Can I reorder the words? For example, Svaki dan oni uče engleski?
Yes. Croatian has flexible word order. You can move elements to highlight them:
- Svaki dan oni uče engleski. (Emphasizes “every day.”)
- Oni svaki dan uče engleski. (Neutral.)
- Uče engleski svaki dan. (Also neutral.)
All mean the same core idea, just shift focus.
What’s the difference between učiti and studirati?
- učiti = to learn or study (general use, self-study, any subject).
- studirati = to study in a formal, academic context (e.g., studiram kemiju at a university).
You učite engleski (you learn English), but you studirate pravo (you study law at a faculty).
How do I say “We study English every day”?
Use first-person plural of učiti:
- Učimo engleski svaki dan.
If you want emphasis, you can add mi: Mi učimo engleski svaki dan. Both mean “We study English every day.”