Learn Hardcore Croatian: Ovdje se plaća karticom ili gotovinom.

It makes an impersonal, passive-like statement. Se with a 3rd person verb expresses a general rule or habit without naming who does the action. So Ovdje se plaća… means “Payment here is by…” or “One/you pay here…”.

Why is se placed after Ovdje? Can I say “Se ovdje plaća…”?

No. Se is a clitic and must sit in “second position” in the clause—after the first stressed word. That’s why we say Ovdje se plaća…. Other correct orders that respect this rule are:

Plaća se ovdje karticom ili gotovinom.
Karticom ili gotovinom se plaća ovdje. But not: “Se ovdje plaća…”.

Is plaća here the verb “pays” or the noun “salary”?

Here it’s the verb: 3rd person singular present of plaćati (to pay). The noun plaća means “salary/wage,” but context makes it clear. The noun won’t appear with se in this way.

Why the present tense? Why not “can be paid” or “must be paid”?

Croatian often uses the simple present with se to state rules on signs and notices. If you want to stress permission/possibility or obligation, you can say:

Possibility: Ovdje se može platiti karticom ili gotovinom.
Obligation: Ovdje se mora platiti karticom ili gotovinom.

Why use the imperfective verb plaćati and not the perfective platiti?

Imperfective (plaćati) describes general, habitual actions—perfect for rules. The perfective (platiti) focuses on a single completed payment, so it appears in contexts like possibility or single events (e.g., Može se platiti karticom).

What case are karticom and gotovinom, and why do they end in -om?

They’re in the instrumental singular, used to express the means/instrument of an action (“with/by means of”). Both kartica and gotovina are feminine -a nouns:

kartica → karticom
gotovina → gotovinom

Do I need the preposition s(a) “with” before karticom/gotovinom?

No. With means of payment, Croatian normally uses the bare instrumental: platiti/plaćati karticom/gotovinom. Using s(a) here would sound odd or mean “together with a card/cash” rather than “by card/cash.”

Does karticom mean a credit card specifically?

Karticom is generic for “(payment) card” and can be credit or debit. If you need to specify:

kreditnom karticom (by credit card)
debitnom karticom (by debit card)

What’s the difference between gotovina and novac?

gotovina = cash (banknotes/coins)
novac = money in general For payment methods, use gotovina/gotovinom.

How is ili used here—does it mean exclusive “either/or”?

Ili means “or.” It’s not inherently exclusive; it just presents options. To force “only,” add samo/isključivo:

Ovdje se plaća samo karticom. To express “and/or,” you might see i/ili or add (ili oboje).

Can I use tu instead of ovdje? What about ovde?

ovdje = standard Croatian for “here,” a bit more formal/precise.
tu = very common in speech; roughly “here/around here.”
ovde = Serbian; understood, but not standard Croatian spelling.

Are other word orders possible?

Yes, as long as se remains in second position within its clause. Examples:

Plaća se ovdje karticom ili gotovinom. (focus on the action)
Karticom ili gotovinom se plaća ovdje. (focus on methods)
Ovdje se plaća karticom ili gotovinom. (neutral) Avoid starting with Se.

How do I say “card only” or “cash only”?

Card only: Ovdje se plaća samo karticom. / Isključivo karticom.
Cash only: Ovdje se plaća samo gotovinom. / Samo gotovina. To forbid cards: Ovdje se ne može platiti karticom. / Ne primamo kartice.

How can I ask if they accept cards here?

Mogu li platiti karticom?
Može li se platiti karticom? (impersonal)
Prihvaćate li kartice? (Do you accept cards?)

Why is the verb singular when there are two payment methods?

Because there’s no grammatical subject—this is an impersonal construction. The verb defaults to 3rd person singular, and karticom/gotovinom are instrumental complements, not subjects.

Any pronunciation tips for ovdje and the letter ć in plaća?

ovdje is pronounced roughly like “ov-jye,” with a soft “đ”-like sound: [ôvdʑe].
ć (in plaća/plaćati) is a softer sound than č. Be careful not to mix up:
- plaća (pays/salary) with plače (he/she cries; from plakati).