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Questions & Answers about Samo moja sestra voli kišu.
What does samo mean and why is it placed before moja sestra?
samo means “only/just” and restricts what follows it. Here it narrows the subject: only the sister (not anyone else) likes rain. In Croatian, samo goes immediately before the part of the sentence it limits.
Why is kišu used instead of kiša?
Because kišu is the accusative singular of kiša (a feminine noun). The verb voljeti takes a direct object in the accusative, so voljeti kišu is correct. Nominative kiša is used for the subject, e.g., Kiša pada.
Why is it moja sestra, not moju sestru or moje sestra?
Moja sestra is the subject, so it’s in the nominative case. The possessive moja agrees with sestra: feminine, singular, nominative. Moju sestru would be accusative (e.g., Vidim moju sestru), and moje is neuter (or feminine plural), so it doesn’t fit here.
How do I know there’s no article like “the” or “a”?
Croatian has no articles. Definiteness/indefiniteness is inferred from context or made explicit with demonstratives (taj/ovaj/onaj), e.g., Samo moja sestra voli tu kišu if you mean “that rain.”
Can I move samo and what changes?
- Samo moja sestra voli kišu. Only the sister (not others) likes rain.
- Moja sestra voli samo kišu. She likes only rain (not snow, sun, etc.).
- Moja sestra samo voli kišu. The restriction falls on the action; often reads as “she just/only likes rain” (and doesn’t, say, love it or do anything else in this context). The scope of samo changes with its position.
Can I drop moja and say Samo sestra voli kišu?
Grammatically yes, but the meaning shifts to “Only the sister” (whoever is contextually understood) likes rain. If you specifically mean your own sister, keep moja.
What form of the verb is voli?
It’s 3rd person singular present of voljeti. Present tense: volim, voliš, voli, volimo, volite, vole. Use voli with singular subjects like moja sestra.
Is alternative word order like Kišu voli samo moja sestra correct?
Yes. Croatian allows flexible word order for emphasis. Fronting kišu highlights the object; the meaning remains “Only my sister likes rain,” but with focus on kišu.
How do I pronounce the tricky sounds?
- š in kišu is like English sh: KI-shoo.
- voljeti is roughly VO-lye-tee; voli is VO-lee.
- Primary stress is on the first syllable in these words.
How would I say “Only my sister doesn’t like rain”?
Samo moja sestra ne voli kišu. ne negates the verb; samo still restricts the subject.
How do I say “Nobody but my sister likes rain”?
Nitko osim moje sestre ne voli kišu. osim takes the genitive case (moje sestre).
Is kiša countable? Why not plural here?
For general statements, Croatian uses the singular: volim kišu. The plural kiše exists for specific occurrences or types, e.g., jesenske kiše (autumn rains), jake kiše (heavy rains).
Can I use a synonym for samo?
Yes: jedino. Jedino moja sestra voli kišu is slightly more emphatic or formal but means the same.
When would I use forms like moju sestru or mojoj sestri?
With different cases required by verbs/prepositions:
- Accusative: Vidim moju sestru. (I see my sister.)
- Dative: Pomažem mojoj sestri. (I help my sister.)
- Locative: Govorim o mojoj sestri. (I’m talking about my sister.)