Learn Hardcore Croatian: Njoj se sviđaju naše slike.

Because with sviđati se the person who experiences the liking is in the dative case. Njoj means to her (dative of ona). The thing that is liked is the grammatical subject. So the structure is essentially “X appeals to Y,” where Y is in dative.

What does se do here? Can I omit it?

Se is required with the verb sviđati se. It forms the impersonal “appeal” construction. You cannot omit it: Njoj sviđaju naše slike is ungrammatical. Think of sviđati se as a fixed verb.

Why is the verb plural (sviđaju)?

The verb agrees with the subject, which is naše slike (plural). If it were singular, you’d use sviđa:

Singular: Njoj se sviđa naša slika.
Plural: Njoj se sviđaju naše slike.

Which word is the grammatical subject?

Naše slike is the subject (the things that are “appealing”). Njoj is an indirect object in the dative.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Croatian allows flexible word order for emphasis, but keep clitics (se, joj) in second position and in the right order (dative pronoun before se). Natural options include:

Njoj se sviđaju naše slike. (focus on “to her”)
Naše joj se slike sviđaju. (focus on “our pictures”)
Sviđaju joj se naše slike. (neutral/verb-first) Note: Joj se … cannot start a clause; joj is a clitic and can’t be first.

What’s the difference between njoj and joj?

Both mean to her (dative). Njoj is the stressed/full form, used for emphasis or when clause-initial. Joj is the clitic (unstressed) form and must appear in second position:

Emphatic/initial: Njoj se sviđaju …
Clitic 2nd position: Naše joj se slike sviđaju.

Can I leave out the dative pronoun entirely?

If you omit it completely, you lose who likes the pictures:

Sviđaju se naše slike. = “Our pictures are liked (by someone/in general).” To keep “she,” you need njoj (full) or joj (clitic).

How do I ask a yes/no question with this sentence?

Two common ways:

Inversion with li: Sviđaju li joj se naše slike?
With da li (very common in speech): Da li joj se sviđaju naše slike?

How do I negate it?

Place ne before the verb:

Njoj se ne sviđaju naše slike. You can also front the verb:
Ne sviđaju joj se naše slike.

How do I say it in the singular?

Use singular subject and verb:

Njoj se sviđa naša slika. (one picture)

How do I say it in the past or future?

Completed past (perfective svidjeti se): Njoj su se svidjele naše slike. (the pictures ended up appealing to her)
Ongoing/habitual past (imperfective): Njoj su se sviđale naše slike.
Future (with clitic će): Njoj će se svidjeti naše slike. / Naše će joj se slike svidjeti.

Why is it naše and not naša or naših?

Because slike is feminine plural in the nominative (it’s the subject). The possessive must match:

Feminine singular: naša slika
Feminine plural (subject): naše slike
naših is genitive plural (e.g., nema naših slika) and wouldn’t be used for a subject here.

What’s the difference between sviđati se and voljeti?

Sviđati se = “to appeal/be pleasing (to someone)” (dative experiencer): Sviđaju mi se ove slike.
Voljeti = “to like/love” (stronger, direct object in accusative): Volim ove slike. Use sviđati se for impressions/appeal; voljeti is stronger and also means “to love.”

How do I say “She likes us” and “We like her” with this pattern?

Remember: the liked entity is the subject; the experiencer is dative.

“She likes us” = Mi se njoj sviđamo.
“We like her” = Ona se nama sviđa.
“I like her” = Ona mi se sviđa.

Does slike mean photos or pictures in general?

Slika/slike is broad: picture, image, painting. If you specifically mean photographs, you can say fotografije (neutral/formal) or fotke (colloquial).

How do I pronounce đ in sviđaju?

Đ is like the English J in jam but a bit softer and more “palatal.” So sviđaju sounds roughly like “SVEE-jah-yoo,” with the đ close to the J in jam.