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Nemojmo zaboraviti vodu i jakne.

Nemojmo zaboraviti vodu i jakne.
Let’s not forget water and jackets.

Breakdown of Nemojmo zaboraviti vodu i jakne.

voda
water
ne
not
i
and
jakna
jacket
zaboraviti
to forget
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Questions & Answers about Nemojmo zaboraviti vodu i jakne.

What does the word Nemojmo express, and how is it formed?
  • Nemojmo is the 1st person plural negative imperative: “let’s not.”
  • It’s the inclusive “we” form used to give a suggestion or mild instruction to a group that includes the speaker.
  • Paradigm:
    • 2nd sg: Nemoj
      • infinitive (“don’t”)
    • 1st pl: Nemojmo
      • infinitive (“let’s not”)
    • 2nd pl: Nemojte
      • infinitive (“don’t” to more than one person)
Why is zaboraviti in the infinitive after Nemojmo?

Because the negative imperative is formed as nemoj / nemojmo / nemojte + infinitive.

  • Correct: Nemojmo zaboraviti …
  • Incorrect: “Nemojmo zaboravimo …” (don’t mix imperative with a finite verb here)
Can I say Ne zaboravimo vodu i jakne instead? Is there a difference?

Yes, it’s also correct and very common. Nuance:

  • Nemojmo zaboraviti … is neutral and very frequent in everyday speech.
  • Ne zaboravimo … can sound a bit more formal or rhetorical (common in speeches, announcements, writing). Both are standard in Croatian; choose based on tone/register.
Why is it vodu and jakne (not “voda” and “jakna”)?

They are direct objects, so they take the accusative case.

  • voda (fem. sg. nominative) → vodu (fem. sg. accusative)
  • jakna (fem. sg.) → jakne (fem. pl. nominative/accusative) Note: For inanimate feminine nouns, nominative plural and accusative plural are identical, hence jakne.
Why use zaboraviti (perfective) and not zaboravljati (imperfective)?
  • zaboraviti (perfective) = a single, complete act of forgetting. That’s what you want for a one-off instruction: “Don’t forget (this time).”
  • zaboravljati (imperfective) = ongoing or repeated action. Use it if you mean “Let’s not keep forgetting”:
    • Nemojmo zaboravljati vodu. = “Let’s not be in the habit of forgetting water.”
Can I change the word order or emphasize both items?

Yes:

  • Neutral: Nemojmo zaboraviti vodu i jakne.
  • Emphasis on both: Nemojmo zaboraviti i vodu i jakne. (“both … and …”)
  • Fronted objects for emphasis: Vodu i jakne nemojmo zaboraviti. Word order is flexible; moving objects to the front adds emphasis or contrast.
How would I replace the nouns with pronouns (it/them), and where do they go?
  • “it” (referring to voda, fem. sg.): Nemojmo je zaboraviti. / Ne zaboravimo je.
  • “them” (referring to jakne, plural): Nemojmo ih zaboraviti. / Ne zaboravimo ih. Clitic placement:
  • After Nemojmo, the clitic comes right after it: Nemojmo ih zaboraviti.
  • With Ne zaboravimo, “ne” is unstressed, so the clitic follows the first stressed word (the verb): Ne zaboravimo ih.
How do I explicitly say “(to) bring” here?

Add a verb like:

  • ponijeti (to take/bring along when leaving): Nemojmo zaboraviti ponijeti vodu i jakne.
  • uzeti (to take): Ne zaboravimo uzeti vodu i jakne. Both are fine; ponijeti is especially natural when you’re about to set off somewhere.
Croatian has no articles. So how do I convey “the water and the jackets”?

Context does it. If you need to be explicit, use demonstratives or possessives:

  • tu vodu i te jakne (that water and those jackets)
  • našu vodu i naše jakne (our water and our jackets)
Is Nemojimo ever correct?
No. The correct 1st person plural form is nemojmo (not “nemojimo”). It’s built directly from nemoj + -mo.
Is Nemojmo da zaboravimo … okay in Croatian?

If you’re aiming for standard Croatian, prefer:

  • Nemojmo zaboraviti … or
  • Ne zaboravimo … The da + present negative imperative (e.g., Nemojmo da zaboravimo) is more characteristic of Serbian; Croatians will understand it, but it’s not the recommended Croatian standard.
What are the corresponding forms for other persons?
  • 2nd sg: Nemoj zaboraviti vodu i jakne. (“Don’t forget …” to one person)
  • 2nd pl: Nemojte zaboraviti vodu i jakne. (“Don’t forget …” to several people)
  • 1st pl affirmative (the “let’s …” form): Zaboravimo … means “Let’s forget …” (opposite meaning!). For a positive suggestion about remembering, rephrase, e.g., Sjetimo se vode i jakni. (“Let’s remember the water and jackets.”)
Any quick pronunciation tips?
  • Rough stress guide: NE-moy-mo za-bo-RA-vi-ti VO-du ee YAK-ne.
  • Approximate IPA: [nɛˈmɔj.mɔ za.bɔˈra.ʋi.ti ˈʋɔ.du i ˈjak.nɛ] Keep the “j” as English “y” (as in “yak”), and roll the “r” lightly.