Moja sestra se zove Ana.

Ana

Breakdown of Moja sestra se zove Ana.

• moj: my
• sestra: sister
• zvati se: to be called

Questions & Answers about Moja sestra se zove Ana.

What does the little word se do in this sentence?

se is the reflexive clitic used with the verb zvati se (to be called/named). English doesn’t show a reflexive here, but Croatian does. Without se, zvati means “to call (someone)”: Moja sestra zove Anu = My sister is calling Ana.

Why is it zove and not je?

zove is the 3rd person singular of zvati se. Moja sestra se zove Ana states her name. Moja sestra je Ana equates the person with Ana (identity). Both can be true, but the nuance is different: name vs identity.

Why is it Ana and not Anu?

After zvati se, the name is in the nominative case: Ana. The accusative Anu appears with the non‑reflexive zvati meaning “to call (someone)”: Moja sestra zove Anu.

Why moja sestra (not moj or moje)?

Agreement. sestra is feminine singular nominative, so the possessive must match: moja. Compare: moj brat (my brother, masc.), moja sestra (my sister, fem.), moje dijete (my child, neut.).

Where does se go? Is Moja se sestra zove Ana also correct?

Yes. Clitics like se prefer the “second position” in the clause. You’ll hear both:

• Moja se sestra zove Ana (more careful/standard placement)
• Moja sestra se zove Ana (very common in everyday speech) Both are acceptable.

Are there other natural ways to say this?

Yes, for example:

• Mojoj sestri je ime Ana.
• Ime moje sestre je Ana.
• Sestra mi se zove Ana. (colloquial; mi is a clitic “to me,” used here as “my”)
• To identify which sister: Moja sestra Ana (e.g., Moja sestra Ana živi u Zagrebu.)

How do I ask “What is your sister’s name?”

• Informal: Kako se zove tvoja sestra?
• Also common: Kako ti se zove sestra?
• Formal/plural: Kako se zove vaša sestra?

How do I say “My name is Ana,” and how does zvati se conjugate?

• My name is Ana: Zovem se Ana.
• Present tense:
  • ja: zovem se
  • ti: zoveš se
  • on/ona/ono: zove se
  • mi: zovemo se
  • vi: zovete se
  • oni/one/ona: zovu se

Can I drop moja and just say Sestra se zove Ana?

Grammatically yes, but it’s ambiguous (“the/that sister is called Ana”). To keep “my” without moja, a common colloquial pattern is: Sestra mi se zove Ana (= “My sister’s name is Ana.”).

What happens in the plural?

Use plural agreement:

• Moje sestre se zovu Ana i Marija. (My sisters are called Ana and Marija.) The verb becomes zovu, and the noun phrase is plural (moje sestre).

Does Croatian use articles (“the/a”) here?

No. Croatian has no articles. sestra is neither definite nor indefinite by itself; moja specifies “my.”

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• j = English y: moja ≈ MO-ya.
• v is between English v and w: zove ≈ ZOH-veh.
• Vowels are short and pure: sestra ≈ SEH-stra; Ana ≈ AH-na.
• Typical stress is early: MO-ja SE-stra se ZO-ve A-na.

Why is sestra in the nominative case?

It’s the subject of the clause. Compare:

• Nominative (subject): Moja sestra se zove Ana.
• Accusative (object): Vidim svoju sestru.
• Instrumental (with): Idem s/sa svojom sestrom.
• Locative (about): Pričamo o sestri.

How do I negate it?

Use ne with the verb:

• Moja sestra se ne zove Ana. (My sister is not called Ana.) You’ll also hear the clitic earlier: Moja se sestra ne zove Ana. Both are fine.