Learn Hardcore Croatian: Moja obitelj uvijek jede zajedno.

In Croatian, bold obitelj bold (family) is a grammatically singular, feminine noun. Collective nouns like this take singular verb agreement in standard Croatian. So you say bold Moja obitelj uvijek jede zajedno bold (3rd person singular). If you want plural agreement because you’re focusing on the members, rephrase the subject: for example, bold Članovi moje obitelji uvijek jedu zajedno bold or bold Moji ukućani uvijek jedu zajedno bold.

Why is it bold moja obitelj bold, not bold moje bold or bold moji obitelj bold?

The possessive adjective bold moj bold agrees with the noun’s gender and number:

bold moja bold for feminine singular nouns (e.g., bold moja obitelj bold, bold moja sestra bold)
bold moj bold for masculine singular (e.g., bold moj brat bold)
bold moje bold for neuter singular or feminine plural in some cases (e.g., bold moje dijete bold, bold moje kuće bold)
bold moji bold for masculine (and mixed) plural (e.g., bold moji roditelji bold) Since bold obitelj bold is feminine singular, bold moja bold is correct.

How do you conjugate the verb bold jesti bold (to eat) in the present tense?

ja jedem
ti jedeš
on/ona/ono jede
mi jedemo
vi jedete
oni/one/ona jedu In the sentence, the subject is 3rd person singular, so bold jede bold is used.

Can I say bold Moja obitelj uvijek jedu zajedno bold?

Not in standard Croatian. Because bold obitelj bold is grammatically singular, the standard form is bold jede bold. You might hear the plural bold jedu bold colloquially when people are thinking of the members, but it’s considered nonstandard. If you want a plural verb, change the subject to a clear plural like bold članovi obitelji bold or bold svi u mojoj obitelji bold: bold Svi u mojoj obitelji uvijek jedu zajedno bold.

Where does bold uvijek bold usually go, and can I move it?

The neutral spot is right before the verb: bold Moja obitelj uvijek jede zajedno bold. Croatian word order is flexible for emphasis:

bold Uvijek moja obitelj jede zajedno bold (emphasizes “always”)
bold Moja obitelj jede uvijek zajedno bold (possible, but less neutral)
bold Moja obitelj uvijek zajedno jede bold (also fine) Keep adverbs close to what they modify; the first version is the most neutral.

Does bold zajedno bold need bold s/sa bold (“with”), like “together with”?

On its own, bold zajedno bold means “together (with each other),” so the sentence is complete as is.
If you name companions, use bold zajedno s/sa + Instrumental bold:
- bold zajedno s roditeljima bold (together with [my] parents)
- bold zajedno sa sestrom bold (note bold sa bold before words starting with s-, z-, š-, ž- to ease pronunciation) So you could say: bold Moja obitelj uvijek jede zajedno s bakom bold.

What case is bold obitelj bold here, and what are some other forms?

It’s nominative singular (the subject). Key forms:

Nominative: bold obitelj bold
Genitive: bold obitelji bold (of the family)
Dative: bold obitelji bold (to/for the family)
Accusative: bold obitelj bold
Locative: bold (o) obitelji bold (about the family)
Instrumental: bold (s) obitelji bold (with the family) Note: the plural nominative is bold obitelji bold too, so context decides whether it’s singular dative/genitive/locative or plural nominative.

Why is there no article like “the” in Croatian?

Croatian has no articles. Possessives like bold moja bold provide definiteness when needed. Without a possessive, bold Obitelj uvijek jede zajedno bold could be understood generically (“Family always eats together”) or as “the family,” depending on context.

Is bold obitelj bold the only word for “family”? What about bold familija bold or bold porodica bold?

In standard Croatian, bold obitelj bold is preferred.
bold familija bold is colloquial/regional in Croatian.
bold porodica bold is common in Serbian and Bosnian; Croatians understand it, but it’s not standard Croatian. The grammar (agreement, cases) stays the same with any of these nouns.

How can I specify the meal instead of the general “eat”?

Croatian often uses specific meal verbs:

bold doručkovati bold = to have breakfast → bold Moja obitelj uvijek doručkuje zajedno. bold
bold ručati bold = to have lunch → bold Moja obitelj uvijek ruča zajedno. bold
bold večerati bold = to have dinner → bold Moja obitelj uvijek večera zajedno. bold Note the 3rd person singular endings: bold -uje/-a bold as shown.

How do I say the opposite, “My family never eats together”?

Use bold nikad bold (or bold nikada bold) plus the negative particle bold ne bold before the verb:

bold Moja obitelj nikad ne jede zajedno. bold Don’t say “nikad jede”; the bold ne bold is required.

What does the plural bold obitelji bold mean, and how would the verb change?

bold Obitelji bold can be the plural nominative “families.” Then the verb is plural:

bold Moje obitelji često jedu zajedno. bold (“My families often eat together.”) This is grammatically fine but uncommon unless you truly mean multiple families.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

bold j bold sounds like English “y” (so bold jede bold ≈ “yeh-deh”).
bold lj bold in bold obitelj bold is a palatal sound similar to the “lli” in “million” said quickly.
bold je bold is pronounced “ye.”
Approximate syllables: bold Mo-ja o-bi-telj u-vijek je-de za-je-dno bold.
Spelling tip: it’s bold uvijek bold (with bold ij bold, not “uvjek”).

What’s the aspect/tense nuance of bold jede bold? Could I use bold pojesti bold?

bold jede bold is present tense of the imperfective bold jesti bold, which suits habitual actions, especially with bold uvijek bold (“always”). The perfective bold pojesti bold means “to eat up/finish eating.” Its “present” form is used for future meaning, so you wouldn’t say bold Moja obitelj uvijek pojede zajedno bold in this general-habitual sense. You could say:

Habitual: bold Moja obitelj uvijek jede zajedno. bold
Single completed event: bold U nedjelju je moja obitelj pojela ručak zajedno. bold

How do I say “My whole family always eats together”?

Add bold cijela bold for emphasis:

bold Cijela moja obitelj uvijek jede zajedno. bold You can also say: bold Svi u mojoj obitelji uvijek jedu zajedno bold (plural verb because the subject is “everyone”).

How would I say “My family and I always eat together” or simply “We always eat together”?

bold Moja obitelj i ja uvijek jedemo zajedno. bold (1st person plural verb)
bold Mi uvijek jedemo zajedno. bold (You can also drop the pronoun: bold Uvijek jedemo zajedno. bold)