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Questions & Answers about Desno od škole je knjižnica.
Why is it škole and not škola?
Because od governs the genitive case. Škole is the genitive singular of škola (school).
- Nominative sg: škola
- Genitive sg: škole
- Dative/Locative sg: školi
- Accusative sg: školu
- Instrumental sg: školom
Does od always take the genitive?
Yes. Od is a genitive preposition.
- od škole (of/from the school)
- od kuće (from the house)
- od mene/tebe/njega/nje/nas/vas/njih (from me/you/him/her/us/you/them)
What part of speech is desno here?
An adverb meaning “to the right.” You use the adjective forms (desni/desna/desno) only when they modify a noun, e.g., desna strana (the right side). So:
- Correct: desno od škole
- Also correct: na desnoj strani škole (on the right side of the school)
- Not correct: desna od škole (there’s no noun for the adjective to modify)
Why is je after Desno od škole instead of right before knjižnica?
Je is a clitic (unstressed short word) that prefers the “second position” in the clause. It typically comes right after the first stressed word or phrase. Here, the first phrase is Desno od škole, so je follows it.
Can I say Knjižnica je desno od škole instead?
Absolutely. Both are correct. Knjižnica je desno od škole is a neutral order. Desno od škole je knjižnica starts with the location for emphasis or topic-setting.
Can I drop je?
No, not in standard Croatian. The copula je is required here. Elliptical omissions happen in headlines or very informal speech, but learners should keep je.
What case is knjižnica in?
Nominative singular. It’s the grammatical subject. With biti (to be), the predicate noun also appears in the nominative: To je knjižnica (That is a library), not accusative.
How do I ask “Is the library to the right of the school?” in Croatian?
Use the yes–no question particle li after the verb: Je li knjižnica desno od škole?
- Colloquial: Je l’ knjižnica desno od škole?
- Regional but common: Da li je knjižnica desno od škole? (less standard in Croatia)
How do I say “to the left of the school”?
Lijevo od škole. Note the standard spelling lijevo (you’ll hear ljevo colloquially, but it’s nonstandard in writing).
How do I say “on the right side of the school”?
Na desnoj strani škole. Here na + locative (strani) indicates location, and škole stays genitive because it’s “the side of the school.”
What’s the difference between knjižnica, biblioteka, and knjižara?
- knjižnica = library (standard Croatian term)
- biblioteka = also “library,” widely understood; in Croatia often used for a “book series” and felt as less native than knjižnica
- knjižara = bookstore (shop that sells books), not a library
How do I pronounce knjižnica and škole?
- knjižnica: k + “ny” (as in canyon) + “izh” (like s in measure) + “ni” + “tsa” → roughly “k-NYEE-zh-nee-tsa.”
- nj is a single sound like Spanish ñ.
- ž like the s in “measure.”
- c like ts in “cats.”
- škole: “SH-ko-leh” (š = sh)
If the subject is plural, what changes?
The verb agrees with the subject, even if the subject comes after the verb.
- Desno od škole su knjižnice. (The libraries are to the right of the school.)
- Knjižnice su desno od škole.
Can I say desno škole without od?
No. You need od to express “to the right of” something: desno od škole. Without od, it’s ungrammatical here.
Could I use nalazi se instead of je?
Yes. It sounds a bit more “locational/formal.”
- Desno od škole nalazi se knjižnica.
- Knjižnica se nalazi desno od škole. Remember se is also a clitic and tends to appear in second position.
How do I say “near the school” instead of “to the right of the school”?
- kod škole (near/by the school)
- pored škole (beside the school) These differ from desno od škole, which specifies the right-hand side.
Are there any commas or capitalization issues here?
No comma is needed. Common nouns like škola and knjižnica are lowercase. Capitalize proper names: Desno od Osnovne škole Petrova je Knjižnica Medveščak.