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Questions & Answers about Žena radi u bolnici.
How do I pronounce the sentence?
Roughly: Žena radi u bolnici = “zheh-nah rah-dee oo bohl-nee-tsee”.
- Ž sounds like the s in “measure.”
- c in bolnici sounds like “ts.”
Does žena mean “woman” or “wife”?
Both, depending on context. On its own it usually means “woman.” With a possessive, it often means “wife,” e.g., Moja žena = “my wife.” A more formal word for “wife” is supruga.
Why is there no word for “the” or “a”?
Croatian has no articles. Context provides definiteness. If you need to be explicit:
- ta žena = “that/the woman”
- jedna žena = “a woman” (one woman)
What case is bolnici, and why does it end in -i?
It’s locative singular of the feminine noun bolnica (“hospital”). After u meaning “in/at” with a static location, feminine -a nouns take the locative ending -i: u bolnici = “in the hospital.”
When do I use u + accusative instead of u + locative?
- Static location: u
- locative → u bolnici = “in the hospital.”
- Movement into: u
- accusative → u bolnicu = “into the hospital.”
What tense/aspect is radi? Does it mean “works” or “is working”?
Radi is present tense of the imperfective verb raditi. It covers both simple and progressive meanings: “works” (habitually) or “is working” (right now). Add adverbs for clarity: trenutno/sada radi = “is working now.”
Why is there no pronoun like “she”?
Croatian drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows person/number. Radi already signals “he/she/it works.” Use Ona for emphasis or contrast: Ona radi u bolnici, a on radi u školi.
How do you conjugate raditi in the present?
- ja radim
- ti radiš
- on/ona/ono radi
- mi radimo
- vi radite
- oni/one/ona rade
Can I change the word order?
Yes, but it affects emphasis:
- Neutral: Žena radi u bolnici.
- Emphasis on place: U bolnici žena radi.
- Emphasis on the subject: Žena u bolnici radi. All are grammatical; context decides which feels natural.
How do I make a yes/no question from this sentence?
Two common ways:
- Inversion with li (standard): Radi li žena u bolnici?
- Rising intonation (colloquial speech): Žena radi u bolnici? Answer with Da (yes) or Ne (no). Note: Da li is widely understood but less preferred in standard Croatian.
How do I negate it?
Insert ne before the verb: Žena ne radi u bolnici. = “The woman does not work in a hospital.”
How do I say it in the plural?
- “Women work in a hospital”: Žene rade u bolnici.
- “Women work in hospitals”: Žene rade u bolnicama. (locative plural -ama)
How do I say what she does there (e.g., as a doctor or nurse)?
Use raditi kao + profession:
- Radi kao liječnica/doktorica. = “She works as a doctor.”
- Radi kao medicinska sestra. = “She works as a nurse.”
Is “at the hospital” still u bolnici or do I need na?
Use u bolnici for both “in the hospital” and “at the hospital” (employment/place). Na bolnici would sound like “on the hospital” (physically on the building or working on a project), so avoid it here.
How do I say “from the hospital,” “in the hospital,” and “into the hospital”?
- from: iz bolnice (genitive)
- in/at: u bolnici (locative)
- into: u bolnicu (accusative)
Does the verb show gender?
Not in the present. Radi works for any gender. Gender shows in past tense participles:
- Žena je radila u bolnici. (she worked)
- Muškarac je radio u bolnici. (he worked)
Is capitalization of Žena required?
Only because it starts the sentence. Otherwise it’s lowercase: žena.
Are there more polite or different words for “woman”?
- žena = woman (neutral)
- gospođa = Mrs./ma’am
- dama = lady (more formal/stylistic) For “wife,” prefer žena in everyday speech or supruga in formal contexts.
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