Ruksak je pun.

The backpack is full.

Breakdown of Ruksak je pun.

• biti: to be
• ruksak: backpack
• pun: full

Questions & Answers about Ruksak je pun.

Why is there no word for the in Ruksak je pun?

Croatian does not use articles (words like a, an, the) at all.

So ruksak can mean a backpack or the backpack, depending only on context, not on a separate word. Ruksak je pun can be understood as either The backpack is full or A backpack is full in English, but in Croatian the sentence itself does not express that difference.

What does je mean, and do I always need it here?

Je is the 3rd person singular of the verb biti (to be). The full present tense is:

• ja sam – I am
• ti si – you are (singular, informal)
• on/ona/ono je – he/she/it is
• mi smo – we are
• vi ste – you are (plural / formal)
• oni/one/ona su – they are

In Ruksak je pun, je links the subject (ruksak) with the adjective (pun), exactly like is in English The backpack is full.

In standard Croatian, you normally need je in such sentences. Omitting it (Ruksak pun) sounds incomplete or dialectal, not standard.

Why is it pun and not puna or puno?

Adjectives in Croatian agree with the noun in:

• gender (masculine, feminine, neuter)
• number (singular, plural)
• case

Ruksak is masculine singular, and in this sentence it is in the nominative case, so the adjective must also be masculine singular nominative:

• masculine singular: pun
• feminine singular: puna
• neuter singular: puno

So you get:

• Ruksak je pun. – The backpack is full. (masculine)
• Torba je puna. – The bag is full. (feminine)
• Smeće je puno. – The trash is full. (neuter)

How can I tell that ruksak is masculine?

There are two main clues:

1. Typical ending
   Many masculine nouns in Croatian end in a consonant, like ruksak, stol (table), grad (city).

2. Dictionary form
   In dictionaries, ruksak is usually marked with m for masculine.

Over time you get used to patterns, but some groups of nouns have to be memorized. For ruksak, the ending in a consonant is a reliable sign that it is masculine.

Can I change the word order, for example to Pun je ruksak?

Yes, you can say:

• Ruksak je pun. – neutral, basic statement
• Pun je ruksak. – more emphatic or expressive

Pun je ruksak keeps the same basic meaning, but sounds a bit more like:

• It is full, the backpack. / The backpack really is full.

So the word order can change for emphasis or style, but the standard neutral order is Ruksak je pun.

How do I say The backpack is not full?

You make the verb je negative: nije.

• Ruksak nije pun. – The backpack is not full.

You never say je ne or ne je. The negative form is a single word: nije.

How do I say The backpacks are full in Croatian?

You need the plural of both the noun and the verb, and the plural form of the adjective:

• ruksak → ruksaci (backpacks)
• je → su (they are)
• pun → puni (masculine plural)

So:

• Ruksaci su puni. – The backpacks are full.

How would I say My backpack is full?

Add the possessive adjective moj (my) in front of ruksak:

• Moj ruksak je pun. – My backpack is full.

Note that moj is masculine singular (matching ruksak):

• moja torba je puna – my bag is full (feminine)
• moje smeće je puno – my trash is full (neuter)

Can I say pun ruksak instead of ruksak je pun? Does it mean the same thing?

Pun ruksak is a noun phrase, not a complete sentence. It means a full backpack, as in:

• Imam pun ruksak. – I have a full backpack.

Ruksak je pun is a full sentence: The backpack is full.

So:

• pun ruksak = a full backpack (no verb)
• Ruksak je pun. = The backpack is full. (complete sentence)

Is pun related to puno, and when do I use each?

Yes, they are related but used differently:

• pun is mainly an adjective: full

  • Ruksak je pun. – The backpack is full.

• puno is most often an adverb, meaning a lot, much, very:

  • On puno radi. – He works a lot.
  • Puno je ljudi. – There are many people.

Puno can also be the neuter adjective form (as in Smeće je puno – The trash is full), but in practice learners most often meet puno as a lot/much/very.

Do I need to change the ending of ruksak here because of cases?

No. In Ruksak je pun, both ruksak (the subject) and pun (the predicate adjective) are in the nominative case.

In Croatian, a noun and an adjective used in this kind of X is Y structure both stay in the nominative:

• Ruksak je pun. – The backpack is full.
• Torba je teška. – The bag is heavy.

You change the case of ruksak when it is an object or used after prepositions, for example:

• Vidim ruksak. – I see the backpack. (accusative same as nominative here)
• Bez ruksaka. – Without the backpack. (genitive: ruksaka)

How do you pronounce Ruksak je pun naturally?

Approximate pronunciation:

• Ruksak je pun → [ˈruksak jɛ pun]

Some tips:

• r is rolled or tapped, not like English r.
• u is like oo in book (short).
• a is like a in father (short).
• je sounds like ye in yes, but very short.
• Main stress is on the first syllable: RUk-sak je pun.