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Questions & Answers about To je moj auto.
What does each word do in the sentence To je moj auto?
- To = that/it (neuter demonstrative pronoun used for identifying something)
- je = is (3rd person singular of the verb biti = to be)
- moj = my (possessive adjective agreeing with a masculine singular noun)
- auto = car (a noun; grammatically masculine in Croatian)
Why is it moj auto and not moje auto, even though auto ends in -o?
In Croatian, most nouns ending in -o are neuter, but auto is an exception: it is masculine. Possessive adjectives must agree with the noun’s grammatical gender, so you say moj auto (masculine), not moje auto (neuter).
What case is auto in here, and why?
It’s in the nominative singular. After the verb biti (to be) used for identification/classification, the complement is in the nominative: To je moj auto, To je moja knjiga, To je moje pivo.
Can I say Ovo je moj auto or Ono je moj auto instead of To je moj auto?
Yes.
- Ovo je moj auto = this is my car (near the speaker).
- To je moj auto = that/it is my car (neutral or mid-distance; also the default for identifying).
- Ono je moj auto = that (over there) is my car (farther away/out of sight).
Can I drop je and just say To moj auto?
No. Croatian needs the copula je in full sentences like this. You might hear fragments like Moj auto in casual pointing/labels, but the complete sentence requires je.
Where does je go if I change the word order?
je is a clitic and tends to sit in the second position of the clause. The neutral form is To je moj auto. With emphasis you can say, for example, Moj je auto crven (My car is red), where je follows the first stressed word (Moj).
How do I negate it?
Use nije (the negative of je): To nije moj auto (That is not my car).
How do I ask a yes/no question like “Is that my car?”?
Use Je li at the start:
- Je li to moj auto? Colloquially you’ll also hear Je l’ to moj auto? In some regions you may hear Da li je to moj auto?, but Je li is the standard in Croatian.
Are there articles (a/the) in Croatian?
No. Croatian has no articles. Possessives and demonstratives often do the job English articles do: moj auto, taj auto, etc.
Is auto the same as automobil?
Yes in meaning (car), but auto is more colloquial/shorter. automobil is more formal or neutral. Both are masculine: moj auto, moj automobil. Plural: auti / automobili.
How do I pronounce To je moj auto?
Roughly: “to yeh moy OW-toh.”
- j sounds like English y in yes.
- au is like the “ow” in now.
- Vowels are clear and not reduced.
How do I say it in the plural: “Those are my cars”?
To su moji auti (or To su moji automobili). Note:
- Verb agrees in plural: su (are).
- Possessive agrees: moji (masculine plural).
- Don’t say: To je moji auti (wrong number agreement).
Why can’t I use svoj here (e.g., To je svoj auto)?
svoj is a reflexive possessive that refers back to the subject of the clause. Here the subject is to (it/that), not “I.” So To je svoj auto would mean “That is its own car,” which is wrong. Use moj: To je moj auto. You use svoj when the subject is the possessor: Imam svoj auto (I have my own car).
Does to have to match the gender of auto?
No. to is a neuter pronoun used for pointing/identifying and does not change here. Agreement shows up on the complement: To je moj auto (masc), To je moja knjiga (fem), To je moje pivo (neut).
How do I say “That car is mine” (using mine, not my)?
Use moj predicatively with the noun as the subject:
- Onaj auto je moj (That car is mine). Compare with identification: To je moj auto (That is my car).
How do I add an adjective, e.g., “That is my red car”?
Place adjectives before the noun and agree them: To je moj crveni auto. Predicatively you’d say: Moj je auto crven (My car is red).