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Questions & Answers about Ona voli glazbu.
Why is it glazbu and not glazba?
Because glazbu is in the accusative case, used for direct objects. Feminine nouns ending in -a change to -u in the accusative singular.
- Nominative: glazba (music)
- Accusative: glazbu (music, as an object) Parallel: knjiga → knjigu (book).
Can I drop the subject pronoun Ona?
Yes. Croatian usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person. So Voli glazbu is perfectly natural. Keep Ona for emphasis, contrast, or clarity (e.g., “She (not someone else) loves music.”).
How flexible is the word order?
Fairly flexible, with changes in emphasis:
- Voli glazbu. Neutral/most common if the subject is understood.
- Ona voli glazbu. Neutral but explicitly names the subject.
- Glazbu voli. Focus on what she loves (answering “What does she love?”).
- Ona glazbu voli. Marked; strong emphasis on the verb or contrast.
What’s the infinitive of voli, and how do you conjugate it?
Infinitive: voljeti (to love/like). Present tense:
- ja volim
- ti voliš
- on/ona/ono voli
- mi volimo
- vi volite
- oni/one/ona vole
Does the verb show gender in the present?
No. In the present, it only shows person and number (voli = he/she/it loves). Gender appears in the past participle:
- On je volio glazbu.
- Ona je voljela glazbu.
How do I say it in the past?
Use the auxiliary je and the past participle:
- Ona je voljela glazbu. (She loved/used to love music.) Common word order: Voljela je glazbu. (clitic je in second position).
How do I make it negative?
Place ne before the verb:
- Ona ne voli glazbu.
- Ne voli glazbu.
How do I ask a yes/no question?
Use the clitic li after the verb:
- Voli li (ona) glazbu? Colloquially you’ll hear Da li (ona) voli glazbu?; in standard style, prefer Voli li…? Intonation-only questions also occur in speech: Ona voli glazbu?
There’s no “the” in Croatian—how do I say “the music/this music”?
Croatian has no articles. Use demonstratives to be specific:
- Ona voli ovu glazbu. (this music)
- Ona voli tu glazbu. (that music)
Should I use voljeti, sviđati se, or obožavati?
- voljeti + ACC: to love/like (broad, common): Ona voli glazbu.
- sviđati se + DAT: to like (literally “be pleasing to”): Njoj se sviđa glazba.
- obožavati + ACC: to adore: Ona obožava glazbu.
Is glazba the right word, or can I say muzika?
Both are understood. In Croatia, glazba is the standard term; muzika is widely used but more colloquial/Serbo-Croatian. In Serbia and Bosnia, muzika is standard. Accusative: glazbu / muziku.
Why does voljeti have lj, but voli doesn’t?
With many -jeti verbs, the -je- drops in the present and lj simplifies to l: voljeti → voli(m/š/...). The lj returns in participles: voljela, voljeli. Compare željeti → želi(m/š/...).
Any pronunciation tips for these words?
- glazbu is two syllables: glaz-bu; the zb cluster is pronounced together, with a voiced z.
- voljeti has lj pronounced like a “ly” sound; voli has a plain l.
- Vowels are pure and short here: o-na, vo-li, glaz-bu.
How do I talk about a specific song or piece instead of music in general?
Use a more specific noun:
- pjesma (song): Ona voli tu pjesmu.
- skladba (musical piece/composition): Ona voli ovu skladbu.
How do I say “She loves to listen to music”?
Ona voli slušati glazbu.
- slušati = to listen to
- To play an instrument: svirati (e.g., svirati gitaru).
- To play recorded music: puštati glazbu.