Learn Hardcore Croatian: On pije previše kave, a ona pije previše čaja. - He drinks too much coffee, and she drinks too much tea.

Because previše (too much) is a quantity word that requires the noun after it to be in the genitive case (partitive use). For mass nouns, that’s the genitive singular:

kava → genitive singular kave
čaj → genitive singular čaja

The same happens after other quantity words like puno, mnogo, dosta, malo:

puno vode (a lot of water)
malo vremena (a little time)

Can I say "On previše pije kavu"? Does it mean the same as "On pije previše kave"?

Both are grammatical but the focus differs:

On pije previše kave. Emphasis on the amount of coffee being too large. Here previše quantifies the noun, so the noun is genitive: kave.
On previše pije kavu. Emphasis on the action/frequency: he drinks coffee too much/too often. Here previše modifies the verb pije, so the direct object is in the accusative: kavu.

In everyday speech, the first version is the go‑to way to say he consumes too much coffee. Use the second when you want to stress the excessive habit rather than the amount.

Why is the conjunction a used here, and how is it different from i and ali?

a ≈ “while/whereas.” It links two clauses with a mild contrast or a side‑by‑side comparison: He does X, whereas she does Y.
i = “and.” Simple addition with no contrast.
ali = “but.” A stronger, adversative contrast.

So On pije previše kave, a ona pije previše čaja presents a contrast in habits without strongly opposing them.

Do I need the comma before a?

Yes. In Croatian you put a comma before a when it connects two independent clauses, just like in the example: ..., a ...

Can I drop the subject pronouns on and ona?

Croatian often drops subject pronouns, but here pije is the same form for “he,” “she,” and “it,” so the pronouns help avoid ambiguity. You can omit them if the context already makes clear who is being talked about:

Context clear: Pije previše kave, a ona previše čaja.
Out of the blue, keeping on/ona is clearer.

What’s the present‑tense conjugation of the verb piti (to drink)?

ja pijem
ti piješ
on/ona/ono pije
mi pijemo
vi pijete
oni/one/ona piju

Note the stem pij- in most forms.

How would this look in the past tense, and does gender show up there?

Yes, gender shows up in the past participle:

Masculine: On je pio previše kave.
Feminine: Ona je pila previše čaja.

How do I pronounce the tricky letters and the whole sentence?

č = “ch” in “chop”
š = “sh” in “ship”
j = “y” in “yes”
ije = roughly “ee‑ye”

Approximation: “On PEE-yeh pre-VEE-sheh KAH-veh, a OH-nah PEE-yeh pre-VEE-sheh CHAH-yah.”

Are kava (coffee) and čaj (tea) countable or uncountable? How do I say “too many coffees/teas”?

They can be both:

As mass nouns (substance): use genitive singular after previše.
- previše kave (too much coffee)
- previše čaja (too much tea)
As countable servings (cups): use genitive plural after previše.
- previše kava (too many coffees)
- previše čajeva (too many teas)

Counting examples:

“two coffees” = dvije kave
“two teas” = dva čaja

Should I ever say previše od (like “too much of”)?

No. Previše is used directly with the noun in genitive: previše kave/čaja. The pattern with od is used with više od (“more than”), e.g., više od deset (more than ten), not with previše.

Can I change the word order for emphasis?

Yes, Croatian allows flexible word order to highlight what you want to emphasize:

Neutral: On pije previše kave, a ona pije previše čaja.
Emphasis on quantity: On previše kave pije, a ona previše čaja.
Strong focus: Previše kave on pije, a ona previše čaja.

The meaning stays the same; the emphasis shifts.

What’s the difference in other standards (Serbian/Bosnian)?

The main noun difference is the word for coffee:

Croatian: kava → genitive kave (as in the sentence)
Serbian/Bosnian: kafa → genitive kafe: On pije previše kafe, a ona pije previše čaja.

The rest (verb pije, previše, čaja, conjunction a) is the same.

How do I say “not enough” or “too little” instead of “too much”?

“not enough” = dovoljno with negation: Ne pije dovoljno kave.
“too little” = premalo: Pije premalo čaja.

I keep mixing up pije and piše. Which is which?

pije = “drinks” (from piti)
piše = “writes” (from pisati)

They look similar but mean very different things.

If I add an adjective after previše, what happens to the adjective’s form?

The adjective must agree with the genitive case required by previše:

previše jake kave (too much strong coffee; fem. gen. sg.)
previše vrućeg čaja (too much hot tea; masc. gen. sg.)

Can I use the perfective verb popiti here?

Use piti for general/habitual actions (as in the sentence). Popiti is perfective, focusing on a completed event:

Habitual: On pije previše kave.
One occasion (past): On je popio previše kave.
Tendency with perfective: Zna popiti previše kave. (He tends to end up drinking too much coffee.)