Moj brat je jak.

My brother is strong.

Breakdown of Moj brat je jak.

• biti: to be
• moj: my
• brat: brother
• jak: strong

Questions & Answers about Moj brat je jak.

What does each word in Moj brat je jak correspond to in English?

Word by word, you have:

• Moj – my (possessive, agreeing with a masculine noun)
• brat – brother
• je – is (3rd person singular of biti = to be)
• jak – strong

So the structure is literally My brother is strong.

Why is there no word for a or the in the sentence?

Croatian does not use articles (a/an/the) at all.

Context tells you whether something is definite or indefinite. The noun brat on its own can mean a brother or the brother depending on context. In this sentence, Moj brat is naturally understood as my brother, so you don’t need any extra word like the.

Why is it moj brat and not moja brat?

In Croatian, possessive adjectives agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they describe.

• brat is masculine singular.
• The masculine singular nominative form of my is moj.
• The feminine singular form would be moja (for example: moja sestra – my sister).

So it must be moj brat, not moja brat.

What case is brat in, and why is it brat, not brata?

Brat is in the nominative singular case.

• The nominative is used for the subject of the sentence – the person or thing doing or being something.
• Here, brat is the subject: he is the one who is strong.

You would use brata (accusative/genitive singular) in other roles, for example:

• Vidim brata. – I see (my) brother. (accusative, direct object)
• Nemam brata. – I don’t have a brother. (genitive, after nemati).

But as the subject of je jak, it must be brat.

What exactly is je, and how is it conjugated?

Je is the 3rd person singular present tense of biti (to be), equivalent to English is.

The full present tense of biti (informal/short forms) 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 or formal)
• oni/one/ona su – they are

So Moj brat je jak uses je because brat is he (3rd person singular).

Can je be left out, like in some English sentences where we drop is?

In standard Croatian, you normally do not drop je in a simple sentence like this. You say:

• Moj brat je jak.

Omitting je (Moj brat jak) would sound either:

• like dialect/colloquial speech in some regions, or
• like a very telegraphic or poetic style.

For regular, correct everyday Croatian, keep je.

Why is it jak and not jaki? When do you use jaki?

Adjectives in Croatian agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Here:

• brat – masculine singular, nominative
• predicate adjective (after je) – also masculine singular nominative → jak

So:

• Moj brat je jak. – My brother is strong.

But jaki is the masculine plural nominative form:

• Moji braće su jaki. – not correct (because plural of brat is irregular)
• Correct: Moja braća su jaka. – My brothers are strong.
  (Here braća is grammatically neuter plural, so the adjective is jaka.)

You also see jaki before a masculine plural noun:

• jaki muškarci – strong men

And before a masculine singular noun, the attributive form is:

• jak brat – a strong brother
  (not jaki brat in standard usage when it’s just one brother)

Does jak change with feminine or neuter nouns?

Yes, it changes to match the gender and number of the noun:

Singular:

• Masculine: jak – Moj brat je jak.
• Feminine: jaka – Moja sestra je jaka. (My sister is strong.)
• Neuter: jako – Moje dijete je jako. (My child is strong.)

Plural:

• Masculine: jaki – Moji prijatelji su jaki.
• Feminine: jake – Moje prijateljice su jake.
• Neuter: jaka – Moja djeca su jaka.

Can I change the word order, for example to Moj je brat jak or Jak je moj brat?

Yes, Croatian word order is fairly flexible, but it affects emphasis:

1. Moj brat je jak.
   Neutral statement: My brother is strong.

2. Moj je brat jak.
   Also correct. Slight emphasis on moj (my), as in: My brother is strong (as opposed to someone else’s brother).

3. Jak je moj brat.
   Puts strong emphasis on jak (strong), something like: How strong my brother is / My brother really is strong.

All are grammatically possible; the first is the most neutral/basic for a beginner to use.

How do you say the negative: My brother is not strong?

You negate je by using nije:

• Moj brat nije jak. – My brother is not strong.

Note that nije is a single word; you don’t say je ne.

How do you pronounce Moj brat je jak?

Approximate pronunciation (IPA):

• Moj – /mɔj/ (like moy)
• brat – /brat/ (short a like in father, rolled or tapped r)
• je – /jɛ/ (like ye in yes)
• jak – /jak/ (again a like in father)

Stress is typically on the first syllable of each word: Moj brat je jak.