Learn Hardcore Croatian: Koliko djece uči s učiteljicom? - How many children are learning with the teacher?

In Croatian, when the subject is an unknown or quantified amount expressed with koliko + Genitive (here: koliko djece), the verb usually appears in the 3rd person singular: uči. This treats the whole quantified group as a single unit.

Standard: Koliko djece uči s učiteljicom?
Compare: Djeca uče s učiteljicom. (Here the clear plural subject djeca takes plural uče.)
Using plural after koliko (e.g., Koliko djece uče…) is common colloquially but considered non‑standard in careful speech and writing.

Why is it djece and not djeca after koliko?

Koliko governs the Genitive. With countable nouns you use the Genitive plural, so djeca becomes djece.

Koliko djece…? = How many children…?
With mass nouns, you use Genitive singular: Koliko vode? (How much water?)

What exactly is djece the form of, and how do dijete/djeca decline?

Djece is the Genitive plural of djeca (children), which is the plural of dijete (child). Key forms:

Singular: dijete (N), djeteta (G), djetetu (D/L), dijete (A), djetetom (I)
Plural: djeca (N/V), djece (G), djeci (D/L), djecu (A), djecom (I)

Why is it s učiteljicom and what case is učiteljicom?

The preposition s (with) takes the Instrumental case. Učiteljica (female teacher) in the Instrumental singular is učiteljicom.

Feminine: s učiteljicom
Masculine equivalent: s učiteljem (Instrumental singular of učitelj)

Should it be s or sa before učiteljicom?

Both mean “with.” The default is s. Use sa mainly for easier pronunciation before words starting with s, z, š, ž or tough clusters: sa sestrom, sa ženom, sa psom, sa mnom.
Here, because učiteljicom starts with a vowel, the standard choice is s učiteljicom. You may hear sa učiteljicom, but s učiteljicom is preferred.

Does s učiteljicom mean “with the teacher” or “from the teacher”? How do I say “learn from the teacher” or “at the teacher’s”?

s + Instrumental = together with: učiti s učiteljicom (study with the teacher)
od + Genitive = learn from (source/teacher): učiti od učiteljice
kod + Genitive = at someone’s place/under someone’s instruction: učiti kod učiteljice (e.g., private lessons)

How would this sentence look in the past or future?

Past: Koliko je djece učilo s učiteljicom?
Note the auxiliary je (3rd singular) with koliko + Genitive.
Future: Koliko će djece učiti s učiteljicom?

How do you answer this question naturally?

Typical short answers:

Jedno dijete.
Dvoje (djece). / Troje djece. / Četvero djece. / Petero djece.
For zero: Nema djece. or Nijedno dijete ne uči s učiteljicom.
In conversation, just Dvoje or Desetero is fine; the noun can be omitted.

Can I say Koliko djeca uče… or Koliko djece uče…?

No. Correct is Koliko djece uči…

djeca (Nominative) is wrong after koliko (it needs Genitive).
uče (plural verb) is non‑standard with koliko + Genitive in careful usage.

Are there articles here? Does učiteljicom mean “a teacher” or “the teacher”?

Croatian has no articles. s učiteljicom can mean either “with a teacher” or “with the teacher”—context supplies definiteness.

Is učiteljica specifically a primary‑school teacher? What about other levels?

Yes, in Croatian:

učiteljica (m. učitelj) = primary‑school teacher
nastavnica (m. nastavnik) = subject teacher in middle/high school
profesorica (m. profesor) = professor; also used as a respectful title for high‑school teachers and above

Spelling trap: what’s the difference between uči and ući?

uči (from učiti) = learns/studies; has č.
Example: On uči. (He is studying.)
ući = to enter; has ć.
Example: On će ući. (He will enter.)
They differ in both spelling and meaning.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, but keep it natural:

Neutral: Koliko djece uči s učiteljicom?
Also acceptable (slightly different focus): Koliko djece s učiteljicom uči?
Fronting the prepositional phrase sounds bookish or awkward: S učiteljicom koliko djece uči? (not typical in everyday speech)

How do numbers work with djeca?

For djeca, use collective numerals: dvoje, troje, četvero, petero, šester o, etc.

Dvoje djece uči s učiteljicom.
For 1: jedno dijete. For none: nema djece / nijedno dijete.
These collective numerals are standard for counting children and mixed groups of people.

What if I use a regular count noun like učenik (pupil) instead of djeca?

The structure stays the same after koliko:

Question: Koliko učenika uči s učiteljicom? (Genitive plural učenika, verb singular uči)
Statement with a known number uses plural verb: Dva učenika uče s učiteljicom. / Pet učenika uče s učiteljicom.
Past question: Koliko je učenika učilo s učiteljicom?

Why is it djece in Croatian but often dece in Serbian?

That’s the ijekavian vs ekavian reflex of the old vowel. Standard Croatian is ijekavian (dijete/djeca/djece), while standard Serbian is often ekavian (dete/deca/dece). The sentence here is in Croatian, so djece is expected.