Breakdown of On obično završava posao u šest.
on
he
u
at
posao
work
šest
six
obično
usually
završavati
to finish
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Questions & Answers about On obično završava posao u šest.
Do I have to say the pronoun On, or can I drop it?
You can drop it. Croatian is a pro‑drop language, so the verb ending in završava already tells you it’s 3rd person singular. Both are fine:
- On obično završava posao u šest.
- Obično završava posao u šest. Including On can add contrast or clarity (He, as opposed to someone else).
Why is the verb završava used here, not završi?
Završava is imperfective present, the natural choice for habits and repeated actions (usually finishes). The perfective završi focuses on a single completed event. With a habitual adverb like obično, the imperfective sounds most neutral.
What are the infinitives and aspect pair for završava?
- Imperfective: završavati (used for ongoing/repeated actions: he is/was finishing, he usually finishes)
- Perfective: završiti (used for single, completed events: he finished, he will finish) Present of završavati: završavam, završavaš, završava, završavamo, završavate, završavaju.
What case is posao in, and why?
Accusative singular. Završavati is transitive, so it takes a direct object. Masculine inanimate nouns like posao have the same form in nominative and accusative singular: posao. Genitive is posla, dative/locative poslu, instrumental poslom.
Is there a difference between završava posao and završava s poslom?
- završava posao = finishes the work/the job (direct object; can imply a specific task).
- završava s poslom = finishes with work, i.e., wraps up for the day. Both are common; the second often maps to English “gets off work.”
Where can I put the adverb obično?
Default and most natural is before the verb: On obično završava posao u šest. You can move it for emphasis:
- Obično on završava posao u šest. (emphasizes “he”)
- On završava posao obično u šest. (emphasizes the time) All are grammatical; keep it near what you want to highlight.
Does u šest need sati? How do times work with numbers?
You can say either:
- u šest (common, short)
- u šest sati (explicit) With the noun sat:
- 1: u jedan (sat)
- 2–4: u dva/tri/četiri sata
- 5+: u pet/šest… sati
How do I say “about six,” “by six,” or “around 6:30”?
- About six: oko šest (sati) or otprilike u šest
- By six: do šest (sati)
- Around 6:30: oko pola sedam or oko šest i pol
How do I specify AM vs PM?
Add a time-of-day word:
- 6 AM: u šest ujutro
- 6 PM: u šest navečer or u šest poslijepodne Colloquially you’ll also hear popodne for poslijepodne.
Why is the preposition u used with clock times?
Croatian uses u + (time expression) to mean “at” a specific hour: u šest, u šest sati. Don’t use na here. Be careful with za: završi posao za šest sati means “he finishes the job in six hours (from now),” not “at six.”
How do I say “He doesn’t usually finish work at six”?
Most natural: On obično ne završava posao u šest.
This says that as a rule he doesn’t finish at six. Placing obično after the verb is possible but less typical in this meaning.
Is On obično završi posao u šest acceptable?
It can appear, but it’s less neutral for a general habit. Perfective završi highlights each finishing as a completed event; you’ll more often hear it in specific frames like: Kad radi jutarnju smjenu, obično završi u šest. For a broad habitual statement, stick with završava.
Any pronunciation tips for words in the sentence?
- š (in šest, završava) = sh in “ship”
- č (in obično) = ch in “church”
- ž (in završava) = zh in “vision” All letters are pronounced; stress is typically on the first syllable in these words: Òn òbično završava posao u šest (don’t overthink pitch; clear vowel/ consonant sounds matter most).
Is there a difference between posao and rad for “work”?
Yes. Posao is the everyday word for job/work/tasks and fits this sentence. Rad is more formal/abstract (labor, scholarly work), and you wouldn’t use rad here.