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Questions & Answers about Film mu je zabavan.
What does mu mean here, and who does it refer to?
mu is the unstressed dative clitic of on (he), meaning “to him.” It marks the experiencer: the person to whom the film is fun.
Why is the dative used (mu), not the possessive njegov?
Because the structure expresses an experiencer dative: “The film is fun to him,” not “His film is fun.” If you say Njegov film je zabavan, you mean “His film is fun” (ownership), which is a different meaning.
Can I use njemu instead of mu? Where does it go?
Yes. njemu is the stressed (long) dative form, used for emphasis or when placed initially.
- Neutral: Film mu je zabavan.
- Emphasis on “him”: Njemu je film zabavan.
- Contrastive after the verb: Film je njemu zabavan.
Why is it zabavan, not zabavno? What are the other agreement forms?
The predicate adjective must agree with the subject film (masculine singular nominative), so it’s zabavan.
Other forms:
- Feminine sg.: zabavna (e.g., Serija mu je zabavna.)
- Neuter sg.: zabavno (e.g., Predavanje mu je zabavno.)
- Plural: zabavni (masc.), zabavne (fem.), zabavna (neut.)
Use zabavno with a neuter subject or with a dummy “it” (e.g., Zabavno je.).
What is je, and can I omit it?
je is the 3rd person singular present of biti (“to be”), serving as the copula. In standard Croatian you cannot omit it here: Film mu je zabavan is required, not Film mu zabavan.
Why are mu and je in that position? Can I say Film je mu zabavan or start with Mu?
They are clitics and must appear in “second position” (right after the first stressed word/phrase). Their relative order here is mu je:
- Correct: Film mu je zabavan.
- Incorrect: Film je mu zabavan. A clitic cannot start a clause, so Mu je film zabavan is ungrammatical.
How can I change word order for emphasis?
Croatian allows reordering while keeping clitics in second position:
- Emphasize the person: Njemu je film zabavan.
- Emphasize the adjective: Zabavan mu je film.
- Neutral/new info on the subject: Film mu je zabavan.
How do I negate it?
Use nije (negative of je):
- Film mu nije zabavan. With emphasis: Njemu film nije zabavan.
How do I make a yes–no question?
Use li with the auxiliary:
- Je li mu film zabavan? (standard) Colloquial: Je l’ mu film zabavan?
What’s the difference between Film je zabavan and Film mu je zabavan?
Film je zabavan makes a general statement. Film mu je zabavan says the evaluation is his specifically: “The film is fun to him.”
Is this the same as Sviđa mu se film?
Related but not identical. Sviđa mu se film = “He likes the film” (the film pleases him). Film mu je zabavan highlights the quality “entertaining/fun.” Something can be entertaining without being generally liked, and vice versa.
How do I say it with other people (me/you/her/us/you pl./them)?
Replace the dative clitic:
- Film mi je zabavan. (to me)
- Film ti je zabavan. (to you sg.)
- Film joj je zabavan. (to her)
- Film nam je zabavan. (to us)
- Film vam je zabavan. (to you pl./polite)
- Film im je zabavan. (to them)
Can I say Taj mu je film zabavan?
Yes. With a demonstrative like taj (“that”) in first position, the clitics follow it: Taj mu je film zabavan. This keeps clitics in second position while postponing film.
Which cases appear in the sentence?
- Film: nominative (subject)
- zabavan: nominative masc. sg. (agrees with subject)
- mu/njemu: dative (experiencer/indirect object)
Does Croatian need an article here (like “the”)?
No. Croatian has no articles. Film can mean “a film” or “the film.” For specificity, use a demonstrative: taj film (“that film”).
Can mu ever mean “him” as a direct object?
No. mu/njemu is dative (“to him”). For a direct object (“him”), use accusative ga/njega: Vidim ga (“I see him”). Compare: Dajem mu knjigu (“I give him a book”).