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Questions & Answers about Film je zabavan.
What does je mean, and why does it come after Film?
Je means is (3rd person singular present of biti = to be). It’s a clitic, and Croatian clitics prefer second position in the clause, so in Film je zabavan, it sits right after the first stressed element (Film).
Why is it zabavan and not zabavna or zabavno?
Adjectives agree with the noun’s gender and number. Film is masculine singular, so you use masculine singular nominative zabavan.
- Masculine: zabavan (Film je zabavan.)
- Feminine: zabavna (Serija je zabavna. “The TV show is fun.”)
- Neuter: zabavno (Putovanje je zabavno. “The trip is fun.”)
What case are the words in?
Both Film and zabavan are in the nominative. After the verb biti (to be), the complement stays in nominative: Film je komedija (“The film is a comedy”), not “komediju.”
Can I drop je and just say Film zabavan?
No, not in standard Croatian. The copula je is required in full sentences. You might see it omitted in headlines or very telegraphic speech, but that’s not standard.
Can I say Zabavan je film?
Yes. Croatian word order is flexible. Zabavan je film emphasizes the adjective (“It’s fun, that film”). The clitic je still stays in second position after the first stressed word (Zabavan). Don’t start a statement with Je.
How do I ask “Is the film fun?”
Use the particle li: Je li film zabavan? Colloquial contraction: Je l’ film zabavan? You’ll also hear Da li je film zabavan? in the region, but in Croatian standard Je li is preferred.
How do I say it in the negative?
Film nije zabavan. (nije is the negative form of je.) For emphasis you can front the negative: Nije film zabavan (suggesting “It’s not the film that’s fun…”), but the neutral negation is Film nije zabavan.
There’s no “the” or “a” — so is it “the film” or “a film”?
Croatian has no articles. Film je zabavan can mean “the film is fun” (if specific from context) or a general statement about a film. Use demonstratives to be explicit:
- Ovaj film je zabavan. (This film)
- Taj film je zabavan. (That film)
- Onaj film je zabavan. (That film over there)
How do I say “a fun movie” (attributive) versus “the movie is fun” (predicative)?
- Attributive (before the noun): zabavan film (“a fun movie”)
- Predicative (after “to be”): Film je zabavan.
What’s the plural: “Films are fun”?
Filmovi su zabavni. Here filmovi is the plural of film, su is “are” (3rd plural of biti), and zabavni is masculine plural to agree with filmovi.
What’s the difference between zabavan, zanimljiv, and smiješan/duhovit?
- zabavan = fun/entertaining
- zanimljiv = interesting
- smiješan = funny (makes you laugh)
- duhovit = witty/cleverly funny Examples: Film je zabavan, ali nije smiješan. / Film je zanimljiv i duhovit.
Can I just say “It’s fun” without naming the film?
Yes: Zabavno je. (neuter impersonal) or To je zabavno. If the film is clear from context, you can also say On je zabavan (“He is fun”), because film is masculine.
Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?
- j in je = English “y” in “yes” (so “ye”).
- i in film = short “ee”; vowels are pure and short here.
- z in zabavan = “z” in “zebra”; each a is like “ah”.
- Stress is typically on the first syllable of zabavan; keep vowels short and clear.
How can I intensify or soften the adjective?
Place an adverb before the adjective:
- Film je jako/vrlo/stvarno/baš zabavan. (very/really/indeed fun)
- Softer/hedged: Prilično je zabavan. (It’s quite fun)
- Mild negation: Baš i nije zabavan. (It’s not really fun)