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Ovo mjesto nam se sviđa.

Ovo mjesto nam se sviđa.
We like this place.
FromLesson 10inHardcore Croatian

Breakdown of Ovo mjesto nam se sviđa.

nam
us
ovaj
this
sviđati se
to like
mjesto
place

Questions & Answers about Ovo mjesto nam se sviđa.

Why is the subject “this place” and not “we,” even though the meaning is “We like this place”?
Because the Croatian verb sviđati se literally means “to be pleasing to.” So the thing that pleases is the grammatical subject (Ovo mjesto = “This place”), and the person who finds it pleasing is in the dative (nam = “to us”). That’s why the sentence is structured as Ovo mjesto (subject) + nam (to us, dative) + se + sviđa (is pleasing).
What does the little word se do here?
Se is a reflexive clitic that’s part of the verb construction sviđati se (“to appeal/be pleasing”). It doesn’t mean “ourselves” here; it’s just required by this verb pattern. You can’t omit it in this meaning.
Why is it nam and not nas?
Nam is the dative plural of mi (“we”), used for the person to whom something is pleasing (“to us”). Nas is accusative/genitive and doesn’t fit this verb pattern. With sviđati se, always use the dative: mi → mi/nam (clitic form: nam; full/stressed form: nama).
Why is the verb sviđa in third person singular, not sviđamo?
The verb agrees with the subject, which is mjesto (place), a third-person singular neuter noun. So you get sviđa (3rd person singular). Sviđamo would mean “we (as a group) are pleasing,” which is not the intended meaning.
What case is mjesto in?
Nominative singular. It’s the subject of the sentence (the thing that is pleasing).
Why is it ovo and not ovaj or ova?
Mjesto is a neuter noun, so the demonstrative must also be neuter: ovo. The masculine form is ovaj, feminine is ova; neuter is ovo. Hence: ovo mjesto.
Can I say Mi volimo ovo mjesto instead?
Yes, Volimo ovo mjesto is correct, but it’s a bit stronger and more direct—closer to “We love/are fond of this place.” Sviđa nam se ovo mjesto often sounds more like “We find this place nice/pleasant,” commonly used for impressions or opinions.
Where can I put nam se in the sentence? Is the given order the only option?

You have several natural options. Common ones:

  • Sviđa nam se ovo mjesto.
  • Ovo nam se mjesto sviđa.
  • Ovo mjesto nam se sviđa. All are acceptable. The clitics nam and se normally appear early (so-called “second position”). Don’t say se nam in standard Croatian; the order is nam se.
How do I make it negative?

Place ne before the verb:

  • Ne sviđa nam se ovo mjesto.
  • Ovo mjesto nam se ne sviđa. Both are fine.
How do I turn it into a yes/no question (“Do we like this place?”)?

Use li after the verb:

  • Sviđa li nam se ovo mjesto?
How do I talk about the past or a one-time liking?

Use the perfective svidjeti se in the past:

  • Ovo mjesto nam se svidjelo. (“We liked this place” / “This place appealed to us.”) For future:
  • Svidjet će nam se ovo mjesto. (“We will like this place.”)
How do I say “We like these places”?

Make both the subject and the verb plural:

  • Sviđaju nam se ova mjesta. Note the plural verb sviđaju agreeing with plural mjesta.
What’s the difference between sviđa mi se and dopada mi se?
Both mean “I like it / it appeals to me.” Sviđa mi se is the most common in Croatian. Dopada mi se is also understood and used, but many speakers associate it more with Serbian or with a more formal/old-fashioned tone in Croatian.
Can I use nama instead of nam?

Yes. Nam is the unstressed clitic form; nama is the stressed/full form used for emphasis or after prepositions:

  • Neutral: Sviđa nam se ovo mjesto.
  • Emphatic: Nama se sviđa ovo mjesto. (emphasizes that it’s we who like it)
How do I add emphasis like “really” or “a lot”?

Use adverbs such as:

  • Baš / stvarno / zbilja (“really”): Baš nam se sviđa ovo mjesto.
  • Jako (“a lot / very much”): Jako nam se sviđa ovo mjesto.
Why is se after nam and not before it?
In standard Croatian clitic ordering for this kind of cluster, the short dative pronoun (mi/ti/mu/nam/vam/im) comes before se. So you say mi se, nam se, not se mi or se nam.
How do demonstratives change the nuance: ovo, to, ono?
  • ovo = this (near the speaker): Ovo mjesto nam se sviđa.
  • to = that/it (neutral, often “that thing we’re talking about”): To mjesto nam se sviđa.
  • ono = that (far from both): Ono mjesto nam se sviđa.
How is đ pronounced in sviđa?
Đ/đ is a soft “dj” sound (IPA: dʑ), similar to the “dy” in a quick “did you.” Don’t confuse it with dž (dʒ), which is like the English “j” in “jump.” So sviđa sounds roughly like “SVEE-dya.”
Can I drop se and just say Ovo mjesto nam sviđa?
No. Without se, sviđati doesn’t have the “appeal to someone” meaning. You need se: Ovo mjesto nam se sviđa.
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