Learn Hardcore Croatian: Novi autobus je brži od starog autobusa.

je is the 3rd person singular present of biti (to be) and works as the copula “is.”
In standard Croatian you should include it: Novi autobus je brži...
It’s an unstressed clitic that prefers “second position.” Common, grammatical options include:
- Novi autobus je brži od starog autobusa.
- Novi je autobus brži od starog autobusa.
- Novi autobus brži je od starog autobusa.
You generally can’t start the sentence with clitic je. Omitting it altogether is nonstandard (except in headlines/notes).

Why is it novi and not nov?

Attributive adjectives (placed before a noun) use the “long” form: novi autobus.
Predicative use (after the verb “to be”) often uses the “short” form: Autobus je nov.
The adjective must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case: novi is masculine singular nominative to match autobus.

Why is it od starog autobusa and not od stari autobus?

The preposition od (“than/from”) takes the genitive.
So both the adjective and the noun go to genitive singular masculine: starog autobusa.
Endings: adjective -og (also acceptable -oga), noun -a: stari → starog (staroga), autobus → autobusa.

Can I drop the repeated noun and just say od starog?

Yes. If the noun is clear from context, it’s natural to avoid repetition: Novi autobus je brži od starog.

Should I use od or nego for “than”?

With a noun or pronoun, use od + genitive: brži od starog autobusa, brži od njega.
Use nego with adjectives/adverbs or clauses: brži nego prije (“faster than before”), brži nego ikad, brži nego što je bio.
You may hear nego with nouns in some varieties, but the safe, standard choice with nouns/pronouns is od + genitive.

How is brži formed from brz?

It’s the comparative of the adjective brz (“fast”). Formation: stem + -ji.
Due to sound changes, brz + ji → brži (z + j > ž).
The superlative is najbrži (“fastest”).

How do I pronounce the special letters here?

ž in brži sounds like the s in “meaSure”: “BR-zh-ee.”
j in je sounds like English “y” in “yes”: “ye.”
od is just “od” (with a clear d).
autobus is roughly “OW-too-boos,” with pure vowels.

What cases are used in this sentence?

Novi autobus: nominative (subject).
je: copula.
brži: predicate adjective, nominative.
od starog autobusa: genitive (governed by od). The adjective starog and noun autobusa both appear in genitive singular masculine.

Can the word order change?

Yes, Croatian allows some flexibility, especially because je is a clitic:

Neutral: Novi autobus je brži od starog autobusa.
Also common: Novi je autobus brži od starog autobusa.
Also possible: Novi autobus brži je od starog autobusa. These variants can slightly shift emphasis but all are acceptable.

Why is there no word for “the”?

Croatian has no articles. Novi autobus can mean “the new bus” or “a new bus” depending on context.

How would this change for feminine, neuter, or plural subjects?

Feminine: Nova linija je brža od stare (linije).
Neuter: Novo vozilo je brže od starog vozila.
Plural: Novi autobusi su brži od starih autobusa.

What’s the declension of autobus (singular), at least the cases we see?

Nominative: autobus
Genitive: autobusa
Dative/Locative: autobusu
Accusative: autobus
Instrumental: autobusom Plural nominative is autobusi; plural genitive is autobusa.

Is staroga okay instead of starog?

Yes. Both starog and staroga are standard genitive masculine singular adjective forms. -oga is a slightly more formal/long form; -og is very common in everyday use.

Could I say noviji autobus to mean “the newer bus”?

Yes. noviji is the comparative of nov (“newer”). For example: Noviji autobus je brži od starijeg autobusa. (“The newer bus is faster than the older bus.”)

Can I say više brz instead of brži?

No. With short/common adjectives like brz, use the synthetic comparative (brži). The analytic pattern više + adjective is generally not used here; više brz sounds wrong. Use brži.

Does od also mean “from”? Is that confusing?

Yes, od means both “from” and “than.” Context disambiguates:

After a comparative: brži od X = “faster than X.”
With motion/origin: od prijatelja = “from a friend.”