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Ona nosi crnu jaknu, a on nosi bijelu jaknu.

Ona nosi crnu jaknu, a on nosi bijelu jaknu.
She is wearing a black jacket, and he is wearing a white jacket.

Breakdown of Ona nosi crnu jaknu, a on nosi bijelu jaknu.

on
he
ona
she
a
and
nositi
to wear
jakna
jacket
crn
black
bijel
white
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Questions & Answers about Ona nosi crnu jaknu, a on nosi bijelu jaknu.

What does the verb nosi mean here, and what form is it?
Nosi is the 3rd person singular present of nositi (imperfective). It means both "wears/is wearing" (for clothes) and "carries/is carrying" (for objects). Croatian uses the simple present for both English simple present and present continuous.
Why is it crnu and bijelu, not crna and bijela?

Because crnu/bijelu are feminine singular accusative forms agreeing with the direct object jaknu (also accusative). Adjectives must match the noun in gender, number, and case:

  • nominative: crna/bijela jakna (a/the black/white jacket)
  • accusative (direct object): crnu/bijelu jaknu (wears a black/white jacket)
What case is jaknu in, and why does it change from jakna?

It's in the accusative case because it's the direct object of nositi ("to wear/carry"). Feminine nouns ending in -a change to -u in the accusative singular:

  • nominative: jakna
  • accusative: jaknu
Does the case change under negation (like in some other Slavic languages)?

No. In Croatian, direct objects stay in the accusative even with negation:

  • On ne nosi bijelu jaknu. (He is not wearing a white jacket.)
What does the conjunction a mean here, and how is it different from i or ali?
  • a = "and/while/whereas," introducing a contrast or comparison between clauses: "She wears black, whereas he wears white."
  • i = a simple "and," just adding information with no contrast.
  • ali = "but," a stronger, adversative contrast. In this sentence a is the most natural because it lightly contrasts the two people.
Do I need the comma before a?
Yes, when a connects two independent clauses, a comma is standard: Ona nosi..., a on nosi...
Can I avoid repeating words to sound more natural?

Yes, ellipsis is common:

  • Full: Ona nosi crnu jaknu, a on nosi bijelu jaknu.
  • Natural ellipses:
    • Ona nosi crnu jaknu, a on bijelu. (drops repeated verb and noun)
    • Ona nosi crnu, a on bijelu jaknu. (drops one repeated noun) All are acceptable; the first elliptical version is very idiomatic.
Can I omit the subject pronouns (ona, on)?

Often yes—Croatian is a "pro-drop" language and verb endings show the subject:

  • Nosi crnu jaknu, a nosi bijelu. To avoid ambiguity (who is who), learners often keep the pronouns, especially in short sentences like this.
How do adjectives agree with different genders in the accusative?
  • Feminine singular (like jakna): adjective ends in -u, noun -u → crnu/bijelu jaknu
  • Masculine singular inanimate (e.g., kaput = coat): same as nominative → nosi crni/bijeli kaput
  • Masculine singular animate (e.g., pas = dog): adjective -og, noun -a → vidim crnog psa
  • Neuter singular (e.g., odijelo = suit): same as nominative → nosi crno/bijelo odijelo
What gender is jakna, and how is it declined (singular only)?

Jakna is feminine. Key singular forms:

  • Nominative: jakna
  • Genitive: jakne
  • Dative: jakni
  • Accusative: jaknu
  • Locative: (o) jakni
  • Instrumental: (s) jaknom
Could I say ima crnu jaknu instead of nosi crnu jaknu?

Different meaning:

  • ima crnu jaknu = "she has/owns a black jacket" (possession)
  • nosi crnu jaknu = "she is wearing a black jacket" (on her body now or habitually) A natural alternative for "is wearing" is ima na sebi crnu jaknu ("has a black jacket on").
Does nositi always mean "wear," or can it also mean "carry"?

It means both. Context decides:

  • Nosi crnu jaknu. Usually "she is wearing a black jacket."
  • Nosi jaknu u ruci. Explicitly "she is carrying a jacket in her hand."
How would I form questions from this sentence?
  • What is she wearing? → Što ona nosi?
  • What kind of jacket is he wearing? → Kakvu jaknu on nosi?
  • Which jacket is he wearing? → Koju jaknu on nosi? Short answers match the case: crnu/bijelu (jaknu).
Is the word order fixed?

Fairly flexible; changing it affects emphasis, not grammar:

  • Neutral: Ona nosi crnu jaknu, a on bijelu.
  • Emphasis on color: Crnu jaknu ona nosi, a on bijelu. Keep adjectives before nouns in standard phrases (e.g., crnu jaknu, not jaknu crnu, except in special stylistic uses).
How do I pronounce the tricky parts?
  • c = "ts": crnu ≈ "tsr-noo" (with a syllabic r)
  • j = English "y": jaknu ≈ "YAHK-noo"
  • ije in bijelu ≈ "ee-yeh": "bee-YEH-loo"
  • nosi ≈ "NO-see"
  • a ≈ "ah"
Why is it bijelu with ije? Is belu also correct?
Standard Croatian uses the root bijel-: bijela/bijelu/bijeli. The form bela/belu is typical of Serbian or some Croatian regional speech, but in standard Croatian you should use bijela/bijelu.
Can I say “in black” instead of using an adjective + noun?

Yes, Croatian can use a color as a neuter adjective/adverbial phrase:

  • Obukla se u crno. (She dressed in black.) But when you name the item, you normally use adjective + noun:
  • Nosi crnu jaknu. (She is wearing a black jacket.)
How would the sentence look in the plural?
  • Mixed/all-male group: Oni nose crne jakne, a oni nose bijele jakne.
  • All-female group (second clause): Oni nose crne jakne, a one nose bijele jakne. Note the plural adjective agreement: crne/bijele jakne.