Word
Nemojmo zaboraviti vodu i jakne.
Meaning
Let’s not forget water and jackets.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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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)
- 2nd sg: Nemoj
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.