Naša susjeda ostaje kod kuće zbog zdravlja.

Our neighbor (female) is staying at home because of her health.

Breakdown of Naša susjeda ostaje kod kuće zbog zdravlja.

• naš: our
• kod: at
• kuća: home
• ostajati: to stay
• zbog: because of
• susjeda: neighbor
• zdravlje: health

Questions & Answers about Naša susjeda ostaje kod kuće zbog zdravlja.

What does kod kuće literally mean, and why not u kući or kući?

• kod kuće = at home (idiomatic; literally “at the house/home”). kod takes the genitive.
• u kući = in the house (inside the building), more literal/physical.
• kući can also mean “home”:
  • Direction: Idem kući = I’m going home.
  • Location (also used, especially in speech): Kući sam = I’m at home.
• Colloquial/regional synonym: doma = at home.

Why are kuće and zdravlja in those forms?

Because kod and zbog require the genitive case:

• kuća (house) → genitive singular: kuće
• zdravlje (health) → genitive singular: zdravlja

What gender is susjeda, and how does agreement with naša work?

• susjeda is feminine (“female neighbor”), so you use feminine naša → naša susjeda.
• Masculine: naš susjed.
• Plurals: naše susjede (all-female), naši susjedi (male or mixed group).

What exactly does ostaje express? Could I use ostane or ostati?

• ostaje is the present of the imperfective verb ostajati = is staying / keeps staying (ongoing or habitual).
• The perfective pair is ostati:
  • Future: ostat će / će ostati (she will stay).
  • Present of a perfective (e.g., ostane) is used for future-like/conditional contexts: Ako ostane kod kuće… (If she stays…). Use ostaje for a current or regular situation.

How would I say this in the past or future?

• Past: Naša susjeda je ostala kod kuće zbog zdravlja. (feminine past participle ostala)
• Future: Naša susjeda će ostati / ostat će kod kuće zbog zdravlja.

Does zbog zdravlja mean “for her health” or just “for health reasons”?

By default it reads as “for health reasons” (usually her own, from context). To be explicit:

• Her own health (reflexive): zbog svojeg/svog zdravlja.
• Someone else’s health: zbog njezina zdravlja / zbog njegova zdravlja.

Can I use jer instead of zbog?

Yes, but the structure changes:

• zbog
  • noun (genitive): … zbog zdravlja. (because of health)
• jer
  • clause: Naša susjeda ostaje kod kuće jer je bolesna / jer ima zdravstvene probleme. Do not say jer zdravlja (incorrect).

Is the word order fixed?

No, Croatian word order is flexible and affects emphasis, not core meaning:

• Naša susjeda zbog zdravlja ostaje kod kuće. (reason in the middle)
• Zbog zdravlja naša susjeda ostaje kod kuće. (fronts the reason)
• Naša susjeda ostaje kod kuće zbog zdravlja. (neutral/default)

Could I say u kući or doma instead of kod kuće here?

• doma is perfectly fine and common: … ostaje doma.
• u kući means “in the house” (inside the building). For the idiomatic “at home”, prefer kod kuće or doma.

How do I pronounce the tricky letters here?

• ć in kuće: a soft “ch” (softer than č), like a “t” + “y” blend.
• lj in zdravlja: palatal “ly” (similar to Italian “gl” in famiglia).
• sj
  • je in susjeda: sounds like “sye” (su-sye-da).

Why is there no word for “the” in Croatian?

Croatian has no articles. Definiteness comes from context, word order, or demonstratives like taj/ta/to (that).

What’s the difference between zbog and radi?

Both take the genitive:

• zbog = because of (cause): … zbog zdravlja.
• radi = for the sake of (purpose/benefit): … radi zdravlja. They often overlap; radi highlights intended benefit.

How do I negate or ask a yes/no question with this sentence?

• Negative: Naša susjeda ne ostaje kod kuće zbog zdravlja.
• Yes/no question: Ostaje li naša susjeda kod kuće zbog zdravlja?
• “Why” question: Zašto naša susjeda ostaje kod kuće? — Zbog zdravlja.

How would susjeda change in other common cases?

• Accusative: Vidimo našu susjedu.
• Instrumental: S našom susjedom razgovaramo.
• Locative: O našoj susjedi pričamo.