Pokušavamo govoriti hrvatski polako.

We are trying to speak Croatian slowly.

Breakdown of Pokušavamo govoriti hrvatski polako.

• hrvatski: Croatian
• govoriti: to speak
• polako: slowly
• pokušavati: to try

Questions & Answers about Pokušavamo govoriti hrvatski polako.

What does the form pokušavamo tell me (person, tense, aspect)?

It’s 1st person plural present of the imperfective verb pokušavati (to be trying/attempting). In Croatian, the present can cover both English simple and progressive, so it can mean either we try or we are trying, depending on context. The subject pronoun mi (we) is omitted because it’s clear from the verb ending.

What’s the difference between pokušavati and pokušati?

They’re an aspect pair:

• pokušavati (imperfective) = an ongoing, repeated, or habitual attempt. Example: Svaki dan pokušavamo govoriti hrvatski. (We try every day.)
• pokušati (perfective) = a single, bounded attempt. Example: Pokušat ćemo govoriti hrvatski. (We’ll give it a try.)

Why is govoriti in the infinitive after pokušavamo?

After many verbs of attempt, desire, ability, necessity, or phase, Croatian typically uses the bare infinitive:

• pokušavati/pokušati + infinitive: pokušavamo govoriti
• Other common patterns: moći, morati, htjeti, voljeti, početi
  • infinitive (e.g., moramo učiti, počinjemo govoriti). There’s no linking word like English “to.”

Can I say Pokušavamo da govorimo?

You’ll hear da + present (e.g., pokušavamo da govorimo) in everyday speech and it’s standard in Serbian/Bosnian/Montenegrin. In Croatian standard (especially in writing), the infinitive is preferred: pokušavamo govoriti. So in Croatia, use the infinitive in neutral/formal contexts.

Why is it hrvatski and not hrvatskim jezikom or na hrvatskom?

All three are possible, with nuance:

• govoriti hrvatski = the most common, compact way (“speak Croatian”).
• govoriti hrvatskim jezikom = formal/literary, literally “to speak with the Croatian language” (instrumental case).
• govoriti na hrvatskom (jeziku) = “speak in Croatian” (na + locative), common and perfectly fine. Avoid govoriti hrvatski jezik; if you include jezik, use the instrumental: hrvatskim jezikom.

Which case is hrvatski here?

Accusative singular masculine inanimate. It looks the same as the nominative (masc. inanimate has nominative = accusative). It’s a nominalized adjective meaning “(the) Croatian (language).” Related forms:

• genitive: hrvatskog
• dative/locative: hrvatskom
• instrumental: hrvatskim

Why is hrvatski lowercase?

Language names are written with a lowercase initial in Croatian: hrvatski, engleski, španjolski. Capitalize country names (Hrvatska) and demonyms (Hrvat, Hrvatica, Hrvati). At the start of a sentence, of course, it’s capitalized by position.

Where can I put polako, and does the position change the meaning?

Word order is flexible; the placement affects focus:

• Pokušavamo govoriti hrvatski polako. (Default: we’re speaking slowly.)
• Pokušavamo polako govoriti hrvatski. (Similar; slight focus on the manner of speaking.)
• Polako pokušavamo govoriti hrvatski. (We’re trying slowly—our attempts are slow.) Also, Polako! by itself is an interjection meaning “Take it easy / Slowly!”

Is there a difference between polako, sporo, and lagano?

• polako = slowly, calmly, carefully. Neutral and very common: Govorite polako, molim.
• sporo = slowly, with a nuance of slowness that can sound negative. Comparative sporije = more slowly, very common in requests: Molim vas, govorite sporije.
• lagano = lightly/gently; in casual speech it can mean “slowly,” but it emphasizes ease rather than speed.

Why use govoriti and not pričati or razgovarati?

• govoriti + [jezik] is the idiomatic way to express speaking a language: govoriti hrvatski.
• pričati = to talk/chat/tell (stories), usually with o + locative or with someone: pričati o filmu, pričati s prijateljem. Not used with languages: avoid pričati hrvatski.
• razgovarati = to converse (with someone): razgovarati s nekim (o nečemu).

How do I say “Let’s try to speak Croatian slowly”?

• Pokušajmo govoriti hrvatski polako. (1st‑person plural imperative) Other natural options:
• Hajdemo pokušati govoriti hrvatski polako.
• Ajmo pokušati govoriti hrvatski polako. (colloquial)

How do I negate the sentence?

Place ne directly before the verb:

• Ne pokušavamo govoriti hrvatski polako. (We’re not trying to speak Croatian slowly.) If you negate the second verb: Pokušavamo ne govoriti brzo. (We’re trying not to speak fast.)

How do I say it in the future or past?

• Future (single attempt): Pokušat ćemo govoriti hrvatski polako.
• Future (repeated attempts): Pokušavat ćemo govoriti hrvatski polako.
• Past: Pokušali smo govoriti hrvatski polako.

Any quick pronunciation tips for these words?

• š in pokušavamo = English “sh”.
• r is trilled/tapped; try a light Spanish‑style r.
• v is often a soft v/w‑like sound; an English v is acceptable.
• hrvatski is syllabified roughly as hr‑vat‑ski; pronounce both t and s (it sounds like “ts” across the boundary).
• Every letter is pronounced; vowels are clear and short.

Do I need to say mi (we)?

No. Croatian is pro‑drop: Pokušavamo… already encodes “we.” Use Mi only for emphasis/contrast: Mi pokušavamo, ali oni ne.

Could I say Trudimo se govoriti hrvatski polako instead of Pokušavamo…?

Yes, with a nuance shift:

• pokušavamo = we are attempting (may or may not succeed).
• trudimo se = we’re making an effort/doing our best (focus on effort rather than the act of attempting).