Breakdown of Most je pokraj parka i vodi preko rijeke.
biti
to be
i
and
park
park
most
bridge
pokraj
next to
voditi
to lead
preko
over
rijeka
river
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Croatian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Most je pokraj parka i vodi preko rijeke.
Why are parka and rijeke not in their base forms?
Because the prepositions pokraj and preko require the genitive case.
- pokraj
- genitive → pokraj parka (beside the park)
- preko
- genitive → preko rijeke (across the river) Base forms: park (masc.), rijeka (fem.). Genitive singular: parka, rijeke.
Can I use other words instead of pokraj? What’s the difference between pokraj, pored, kraj, uz, and do?
Yes. They’re close in meaning but with nuances and different cases:
- pokraj
- genitive: beside/near (neutral; slightly literary to some ears).
- pored
- genitive: beside; very common in everyday speech.
- kraj
- genitive: by/next to; note kraj also means “end.”
- uz
- accusative: right next to/alongside (often implies close, linear adjacency).
- do
- genitive: up to/right next to (often very close contact).
- Also useful: blizu
- genitive = near (not necessarily adjacent).
Would Most je pored parka or Most je uz park also be correct?
Yes.
- pored ≈ pokraj with almost no difference in everyday contexts.
- uz suggests the bridge runs right along the park’s side/border.
Is vodi natural with a bridge? What else could I say?
Yes—Croatian often uses voditi for paths, roads, and bridges. Alternatives:
- Most prelazi rijeku. (the bridge crosses the river)
- Most ide preko rijeke.
- Most se proteže preko rijeke.
- Most spaja dvije obale. Note: prelazi preko rijeke is common, though some prefer the shorter prelazi rijeku.
Why is there no word like the before most?
Croatian has no articles. Definiteness comes from context or determiners like taj/ovaj/onaj: Taj most je pokraj parka.
Can I change the word order? Where does je go?
Yes. The clitic je must be in second position in its clause.
- Most je pokraj parka i vodi preko rijeke.
- Pokraj parka je most i vodi preko rijeke. You can front different parts for emphasis, but keep je right after the first stressed element.
Do I need a comma before i here?
No. i simply links two predicates with the same subject: Most je pokraj parka i vodi preko rijeke.
Use a comma (or a) if there’s contrast or a change of subject: Most je pokraj parka, a cesta vodi preko rijeke.
Should I use i or a?
- i = and (neutral addition; standard here).
- a = and/but (mild contrast or narrative shift). Most je pokraj parka, a vodi preko rijeke adds a slight contrastive feel.
Why is it preko rijeke, not preko rijeku?
Because preko always takes the genitive, regardless of movement. Some prepositions vary by case (u/na: accusative for motion, locative for location), but preko is always genitive.
How do I express “over” vs “across” the river?
- preko rijeke = across the river (span from one side to the other).
- nad rijekom = over/above the river (spatially above). Note the case change: nad
- instrumental → nad rijekom.
Could rijeke mean “rivers” here?
No. Here rijeke is genitive singular after preko. The same form can also be nominative plural in other contexts, but the preposition makes it unambiguously genitive singular.
How would I ask a yes–no question with this sentence?
Use Je li (formal) or Je l’ (colloquial):
- Je li most pokraj parka i vodi preko rijeke? Rising intonation in speech also works: Most je pokraj parka i vodi preko rijeke?
Can I drop je?
Not in normal sentences. You need je: Most je pokraj parka.
Dropping it is headline/telegraphic style: Most pokraj parka (elliptical).
What are the dictionary forms and genders of the nouns?
- most — masculine; genitive mosta.
- park — masculine; genitive parka.
- rijeka — feminine; genitive rijeke.
Is there any regional variation I should know for rijeka?
Yes. Croatian standard uses rijeka (ijekavian). Serbian ekavian uses reka. In Croatian, stick to rijeka; the preposition–case rules stay the same.