Learn Hardcore Croatian: On i ona govore engleski i hrvatski. - He and she speak English and Croatian.

On = he, ona = she. They’re lowercase inside a sentence; On is capitalized here only because it starts the sentence. Note: ona can also mean “they” (neuter plural), but here it’s “she.”

Why is the verb govore plural, not singular?

Because the subject is compound: on i ona (“he and she”) = “they,” so the verb is 3rd‑person plural: govore (from govoriti).

Could I just say Oni govore engleski i hrvatski?

Yes. Oni = “they” for a male or mixed group. It means the same as naming them (on i ona). If the group is only female, use one.

Does the verb change with subjects like “I and he” or “You and he”?

Yes—Croatian matches the highest “person” present:

Ja i on → 1st person plural: govorimo
Ti i on/ona → 2nd person plural: govorite
On i ona (only 3rd persons) → 3rd person plural: govore

Is On i ona the only acceptable order?

No. Ona i on is equally correct; word order reflects style or emphasis, not grammar.

What does i mean? Do I need a comma before it?

i = “and.” No comma when joining two items. With longer lists you use commas and put i only before the last item: engleski, hrvatski i španjolski.

Why aren’t engleski and hrvatski capitalized?

Language names are lowercase in Croatian because they’re adjectives used as nouns. Proper names like countries and peoples are capitalized: Hrvatska (Croatia), Engleska (England), Hrvat/Englez.

What case are engleski and hrvatski in here?

Accusative singular masculine. Govoriti can take a direct object, and these adjectives stand for “(the) language”: (engleski [jezik], hrvatski [jezik]). You can also say govoriti na engleskom/hrvatskom (“speak in English/Croatian”) with na + locative.

Is govoriti the only verb I should use with languages?

Use govoriti (“to speak” a language) or znati (“to know” a language): Znaju engleski i hrvatski. Don’t say pričati engleski; pričati means “to talk/chat,” though pričati na engleskom (“talk in English”) is fine.

How do I say “both he and she” or “both English and Croatian”?

“Both he and she …”: I on i ona govore … or On i ona oboje govore … (oboje = both of them, mixed/unspecified gender).
“both English and Croatian”: Govore i engleski i hrvatski.
Negative “neither … nor …”: On i ona ne govore ni engleski ni hrvatski.

Can I drop the subjects?

Yes. Govore engleski i hrvatski. Croatian is pro‑drop; the verb ending shows person/number. Keep subjects when you want to specify or emphasize who.

Where do I put adverbs like “well”?

Flexible. Common: Dobro govore engleski i hrvatski. Also possible: Govore engleski i hrvatski dobro. Placing the adverb earlier often sounds neutral.

Does govore mean “they speak” or “they are speaking”?

Both. Croatian present covers English simple and continuous. Add time words to clarify: Sada/Trenutno govore… = “They are speaking now.”

Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?

g is always hard (as in “go”).
r is tapped/rolled.
e, i, a are pure vowels (e ~ “bet,” i ~ “machine,” a ~ “father”).
hrvatski: hr‑vat‑ski; the initial hr may feel like “hrr‑”.
govore: go‑vo‑re (three clear syllables). No silent letters.

How would I say it in the past?

Use “to be” + past participle. Mixed group (or any with a male) → masculine plural; all‑female → feminine plural.

On i ona su govorili engleski i hrvatski. (mixed)
One su govorile engleski i hrvatski. (all female)

Do both parts of a phrase joined by i take the same case?

Yes. The required case applies to both sides:

Subject (nominative): On i ona govore…
Object (accusative): Vidim njega i nju. (“I see him and her.”)
With a preposition: Govorim s njim i s njom. (“I speak with him and with her.”)

If I really want to include the word “language,” what should I say?

Native usage normally omits it. If you include it, either repeat the noun or use a structure that avoids awkwardness:

Govore engleski jezik i hrvatski jezik. (clear, formal)
You may see the formal shorthand engleski i hrvatski jezik, but everyday speech prefers simply: Govore engleski i hrvatski.

How is govoriti conjugated in the present?

ja govorim, ti govoriš, on/ona/ono govori, mi govorimo, vi govorite, oni/one/ona govore.