Breakdown of Njegov auto je plav, a njen je bijel.
biti
to be
njegov
his
auto
car
njen
her
a
and
bijel
white
plav
blue
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Questions & Answers about Njegov auto je plav, a njen je bijel.
What does the conjunction a mean here? Is it "and" or "but"?
A most often means "and" with a contrastive nuance—roughly "and/whereas." It contrasts his blue car with her white one. I is a plain "and" without contrast, and ali is "but," a stronger opposition.
Why do we need je? Can I say Njegov auto plav?
You need je (3rd person singular of biti, "to be") in normal sentences. So: Auto je plav. Omitting je is only acceptable in headlines or very telegraphic notes.
Why is je placed where it is? Could I say Njegov je auto plav?
Yes. Je is a clitic and tends to sit in "second position." Both are fine:
- Njegov auto je plav. (after the first phrase)
- Njegov je auto plav. (after the first word) Both sound natural.
Why is the noun missing in a njen je bijel? What is implied?
Croatian often omits a repeated noun when context is clear. Here (auto) is implied: a njen (auto) je bijel. The adjective and possessive still agree with the implied noun.
Why njen, not njena or njeno?
Agreement. The implied noun auto is masculine singular, so the possessive is masculine singular njen. With a feminine noun: njena kuća; with a neuter noun: njeno stablo.
What’s the difference between njen and njezin?
Both mean "her" as possessive adjectives and are standard. Njezin (fem. njezina, neut. njezino) is often viewed as more typically Croatian; njen/njena/njeno is also fully acceptable.
Why bijel and not bijela, bijelo, or bijeli?
- Bijel is masculine singular (short/indefinite), matching auto.
- Bijela (fem.), bijelo (neut.) match feminine or neuter nouns.
- Bijeli is the long/definite masculine form; in predicate position the short form (bijel) is the default.
Is there any difference between plav and modar?
Both mean "blue," but:
- Plav is the general color term and also means "blond" for hair (e.g., plava kosa).
- Modar suggests a deeper blue and appears in set phrases (e.g., modar od hladnoće, "blue from the cold") and words like modrica (bruise).
Do adjectives still agree in gender and number after je?
Yes. Predicate adjectives agree:
- Auto je plav. (masc. sg.)
- Kuća je bijela. (fem. sg.)
- Stablo je bijelo. (neut. sg.)
- Automobili su plavi. (masc. pl.)
Can I omit je in the second clause: Njegov auto je plav, a njen bijel?
Yes. In coordinated, parallel structures you can repeat or omit je in the second clause. Both are standard:
- ..., a njen je bijel.
- ..., a njen bijel.
Can I use i or ali instead of a?
- I (and) is possible but reduces the contrast.
- A (and/whereas) is best for a gentle contrast.
- Ali (but) is stronger and would sound off unless you want a real contradiction.
Is the comma before a necessary?
Yes. Standard Croatian punctuation uses a comma before coordinating a when it links independent clauses: ..., a ....
Why is it bijel and not bel?
Croatian standard is Ijekavian: bijel, mlijeko, vrijeme. Serbian Ekavian has bel, mleko, vreme. You’ll also see Ijekavian Serbian with bijel, depending on variety.
How do I pronounce nj, je, and ije?
- nj = [ɲ], like Spanish ñ in señor; njen begins with [ɲ].
- je = [je] (y-eh).
- ije is typically a long sequence; bijel is roughly [bijel].
How would this look in the plural?
- Colloquial plural of car: Njegovi auti su plavi, a njezini su bijeli.
- More formal noun: Njegovi automobili su plavi, a njezini su bijeli. Note the plural possessives (njegovi/njezini) and adjectives (plavi/bijeli).
Can I express possession with pronoun clitics instead of possessive adjectives?
Yes, very natural:
- Auto mu je plav. = His car is blue. (mu = to him)
- Auto joj je bijel. = Her car is white. (joj = to her)
When do I use svoj instead of njegov/njezin?
Use svoj when the possessor is the subject of the same clause:
- Ana voli svoj auto. (her own car)
- Ana voli njen/njezin auto. (some other woman’s car) In the given sentence there is no subject in play, so njegov/njen is neutral.
How is auto declined? Is automobil better?
Both are fine; auto is very common, automobil is more formal. Singular:
- auto (N), auta (G), autu (D/L), auto (A), autom (I)
- automobil (N), automobila (G), automobilu (D/L), automobil (A), automobilom (I)
How do I turn the sentence into a yes–no question?
Use je li (or clitic li):
- Je li njegov auto plav, a njezin bijel?
Can I front the adjectives for emphasis?
Yes: Plav je njegov auto, a bijel je njen. This is stylistic/emphatic; the meaning stays the same.