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 , not or ?