Learn Hardcore Croatian: Ovaj zadatak je težak.

Ovaj: demonstrative adjective meaning this, modifying the noun.
zadatak: noun meaning task, the subject; nominative singular, masculine.
je: 3rd person singular present of biti (to be), the copula.
težak: predicate adjective meaning difficult/heavy, nominative masculine singular, agreeing with the subject.

Which case is used here, and why?

All content words (ovaj, zadatak, težak) are in the nominative because we have a simple equational sentence: Subject (nominative) + copula + predicate adjective (also nominative).

Why is there no article like “the” or “a”?

Croatian has no articles. Specificity is shown through context and demonstratives. Here, ovaj already means this, so an article is unnecessary.

Why does je come after the noun phrase (Ovaj zadatak) instead of right after the first word?

Je is a clitic that prefers second position in the clause, after the first stressed constituent. The whole noun phrase Ovaj zadatak acts as that first constituent, so je follows it: Ovaj zadatak je težak.

Can I also say “Ovaj je zadatak težak”?

Yes. Both Ovaj zadatak je težak and Ovaj je zadatak težak are grammatical. The second pushes ovaj into focus slightly more; the first is the most neutral.

Can I drop je and say “Ovaj zadatak težak”?

Not in standard Croatian. Omitting je is limited to headlines, notes, or special emphatic/elliptical styles (e.g., Ovaj zadatak — težak!). In normal speech and writing, keep je.

Why is it težak (masculine) and not teška or teško?

Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. Zadatak is masculine singular nominative, so the predicate adjective is težak (masc. sg. nom.). Feminine would be teška, neuter teško.

How would this sentence change with a feminine or plural noun?

Feminine: Ova zadaća je teška. (This homework is hard.)
Neuter: Ovo pitanje je teško. (This question is hard.)
Plural masculine: Ovi zadaci su teški. (These tasks are hard.)
Plural feminine: Ove vježbe su teške.
Plural neuter: Ova pitanja su teška.

What’s the difference between ovaj and ovo in sentences like this?

Ovaj modifies a masculine noun: Ovaj zadatak je težak.
Ovo is a neuter pronoun often used to present or point at something: Ovo je težak zadatak. (= This is a difficult task.) Use ovaj when you name the noun directly; use ovo when introducing it.

How do I make it negative?

Use the negative form of the copula: nije.

Ovaj zadatak nije težak. (This task is not hard.) Note: nije isn’t a clitic like je, so it behaves more like a regular verb in position.

How do I ask “Is this task hard?” in Croatian?

Use the yes/no question particle je li:

Je li ovaj zadatak težak? Colloquial: Je l' ovaj zadatak težak? Avoid writing jeli (that means “they ate”).

Can I use teško instead of težak here?

Not with a noun as subject. Teško is the adverb/neuter form and fits impersonal patterns:

Correct here: Ovaj zadatak je težak.
Impersonal: Teško je riješiti ovaj zadatak. (It is hard to solve this task.)

What are some natural intensifiers: “very” or “too hard”?

vrlo/jako: Ovaj je zadatak vrlo/jako težak. (very hard)
pretežak: Ovaj je zadatak pretežak. (too hard) You can also say zbilja/stvarno (really): stvarno težak.

Does težak also mean “heavy,” not just “difficult”?

Yes. Context decides:

težak kofer (a heavy suitcase)
težak zadatak (a difficult task)

What’s the plural of zadatak? I’ve seen a change in the stem.

It’s irregular:

Nominative singular: zadatak
Nominative plural: zadaci (k → c + i) Other useful forms: gen. sg. zadatka, dat./loc. sg. zadatku, inst. sg. zadatkom, gen. pl. zadataka, dat./loc./inst. pl. zadacima.

Are there alternative word orders for emphasis?

Yes, Croatian allows fronting:

Težak je ovaj zadatak. (emphasizes “hard”)
Zadatak je težak. (more neutral; without “this”) Word order can shift focus; the meaning (proposition) stays the same.

How do clitics behave if I add something like “for me”?

Dative pronoun clitics join the clitic cluster and stay near second position:

Ovaj mi je zadatak težak. (This task is hard for me.)
Also possible: Ovaj zadatak mi je težak. (still early in the clause)

Is there a difference between je and jest?

Je is the normal short form (clitic). Jest is a stressed/full form used for emphasis or contrast, and in the fixed phrase to jest (“that is, i.e.”). You’d normally say Ovaj zadatak je težak, not … jest težak.

Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?

j in je is like English “y” in “yes.”
ž in težak is like the “s” in “measure.”
Every written vowel is pronounced; there’s no article sound before zadatak.

What are close synonyms for “task” in this context?

zadatak: task/assignment/exercise (generic)
vježba: exercise (practice task)
problem: problem (often math/logic)
zadaća (Croatian), zadatak za domaću zadaću: homework-related; note zadaća is feminine.