Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Croatian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Sviđa mi se ova ideja.
What does the word mi mean here?
It means to me. It’s the unstressed dative form of the pronoun for I (ja). With the verb sviđati se, the person who likes something is always in the dative: mi, ti, mu, joj, nam, vam, im (to me, to you, to him…).
Why is se in the sentence?
Se is the reflexive particle; sviđati se is an inherently reflexive verb meaning to be pleasing/appealing (to someone). There is no non-reflexive sviđati in standard use. Literally, Sviđa mi se ova ideja is like saying this idea is pleasing to me.
Who is the grammatical subject?
The subject is ova ideja (this idea). That’s why the verb is in 3rd person singular: sviđa. The experiencer (mi) is in the dative, not the subject.
Why is it ova ideja and not ovu ideju?
Because with sviđati se, the thing that is liked is the subject in the nominative: ova ideja. The accusative (ovu ideju) would be used with a verb like voljeti: Volim ovu ideju.
Can I say Volim ovu ideju instead? What’s the difference?
Yes: Volim ovu ideju is correct. Nuance:
- Sviđa mi se = it appeals to me / I find it nice (often a first impression or milder like).
- Volim = I like/love (a stronger, more stable preference).
Can the pronouns move around? What other word orders are natural?
Yes, clitics (mi, se) tend to sit in the “second position.” Common variants:
- Sviđa mi se ova ideja. (neutral)
- Ova mi se ideja sviđa. (fronts the idea)
- Ova ideja mi se sviđa.
- Meni se sviđa ova ideja. (stressed meni for emphasis) You can also add intensifiers: Jako mi se sviđa ova ideja. / Baš mi se sviđa ova ideja.
Why is it mi se and not se mi?
Because clitics follow a fixed order. In Croatian, the dative clitic (mi, ti, mu, joj…) comes before se in the clitic cluster, so it’s mi se, not se mi. Don’t say: Sviđa se mi ova ideja (wrong).
How do I make it negative?
Put ne before the verb:
- Ne sviđa mi se ova ideja. With fronted subject:
- Ova ideja mi se ne sviđa.
How do I say it in the past or future? What about the perfective pair?
- Perfective pair: svidjeti se (completed liking).
- Past (completed): Svidjela mi se ova ideja. (The idea appealed to me at some point.)
- Past (ongoing/used to): Sviđala mi se ova ideja.
- Future (single point, perfective): Svidjet će mi se ova ideja.
- Future (ongoing/repeated, imperfective): Sviđat će mi se ova ideja.
How does agreement work with plurals or different subjects?
The verb agrees with the thing liked (the subject):
- Singular: Sviđa mi se ova ideja.
- Plural: Sviđaju mi se ove ideje.
- Different nouns: Sviđa mi se ovaj plan. / Sviđa mi se ovo rješenje.
Can I use this with people? Does it sound romantic?
Yes. Sviđa mi se Marko. often implies you find Marko attractive or you have a crush. For a neutral like or affection, you might say Volim ga kao prijatelja (I like him as a friend) or Dobar mi je (He’s good/nice to me), depending on nuance.
What’s the difference between mi and meni?
Mi is the unstressed clitic; meni is the stressed (full) form. Use meni for emphasis or when it fits better with the second-position rule:
- Meni se sviđa ova ideja. (emphatic: as for me…)
- Sviđa mi se ova ideja. (neutral)
What does Sviđam se mean? Why can’t I say Sviđam se ova ideja?
Sviđam se means I am pleasing (to someone) = someone likes me. It needs a person in the dative:
- Sviđam joj se. (She likes me.) To say I like this idea, you must keep the idea as the subject:
- Sviđa mi se ova ideja. (not Sviđam se ova ideja)
How do the demonstratives work here: ova, ovaj, ovo?
They agree with the noun’s gender:
- Feminine: ova ideja
- Masculine: ovaj plan
- Neuter: ovo rješenje Used alone (pronoun), neuter ovo is common: Sviđa mi se ovo.
Can I drop ova and just say Sviđa mi se ideja?
Yes. Sviđa mi se ideja = I like the idea (more general/unspecified). Sviđa mi se ova ideja specifies this particular idea (near in context or discourse).
How do I compare: I like this idea more than that one?
Use više (nego/od):
- Ova mi se ideja sviđa više nego ona.
- Više mi se sviđa ova ideja nego ona.
Pronunciation tips for sviđa and ideja?
- sv is like s + v.
- đ is a soft j sound (similar to the j in English “juice,” but a bit softer).
- j is like English y in “yes.”
- ideja sounds like ee-DEH-ya.
Is Dopada mi se ova ideja also correct?
Croatians understand it, but dopadati se / dopasti se is more typical for Serbian. In standard Croatian, sviđati se / svidjeti se is preferred: Sviđa mi se ova ideja. / Svidjela mi se ova ideja.