Volim to.

I like it.

Breakdown of Volim to.

• voljeti: to like
• to: it

Questions & Answers about Volim to.

Where is the word "I" in Volim to.? Why isn’t it written?

In Croatian, the subject pronoun (like ja = I) is usually omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• volim = I love / I like
• voliš = you (sg.) love / like
• voli = he/she/it loves / likes

So Volim to. literally means (I) love that / (I) like that.
Adding ja is possible but usually adds emphasis:

• Ja volim to. = I like that (as opposed to someone else, or contrary to what you think).

What is the difference between volim and sviđa mi se?

Both can translate to I like, but they’re used differently.

• volim

  • noun/pronoun: more direct and often stronger, closer to love / really like
  • Volim to. = I love/like that.
  • Volim čokoladu. = I love chocolate.

• sviđa mi se

  • noun/pronoun: more about something being pleasing to you
  • To mi se sviđa. = I like that / That appeals to me.
  • Ta pjesma mi se sviđa. = I like that song.

In casual speech, Volim to. can still be understood as simple I like that, not necessarily deep love, depending on tone and context.

Why is it to and not ovo or ono?

Croatian has three basic demonstratives (roughly: this / that / that over there):

• ovo – this, something close to the speaker
• to – that / it, neutral “that/it” often used in general reference
• ono – that (over there), distant or more abstract

In many everyday contexts, to is a very common neutral choice:

• Volim to. = I like that / I like it.
• Što je to? = What is that / this?

If you specifically want this right here, you could say:

• Volim ovo. = I like this (one, thing). And for something more distant:
• Volim ono. = I like that (over there / that one we talked about earlier).

What case is to in Volim to.? Why doesn’t it change its form?

To here is in the accusative case (direct object of the verb volim).

For this neuter pronoun, the nominative and accusative forms are the same:

• Nominative: to = that/it (as subject)
  • To je dobro. = That is good.
• Accusative: to = that/it (as object)
  • Volim to. = I like that.

So it does change case grammatically, but the form happens to be identical in the nominative and accusative.

Could I say Volim ga or Volim je instead of Volim to?

Yes, but they mean something different.

• Volim to. – I like that / I like it (referring to some thing or situation, often just pointed at or mentioned).
• Volim ga. – I love/like him or it (masculine noun previously mentioned).
• Volim je. – I love/like her or them (fem. pl.), or it if the noun is feminine.

Examples:

• Vidim auto. Volim ga.
  I see the car. I like it. (auto is masculine, so ga)
• Vidim knjigu. Volim je.
  I see the book. I like it. (knjiga is feminine, so je)

To is more general and is often used when you’re pointing at or generally referring to something without naming its grammatical gender.

Is Volim to. more like I like that or I love that?

It can be either, depending on context and tone.

• In many casual contexts, Volim to. = I like that.
• In more emotional or enthusiastic contexts, it can feel closer to I love that.

If you want to make “like” clearly weaker, you can use:

• Sviđa mi se to. = I like that.

If you want to clearly intensify:

• Baš volim to. / Jako volim to. = I really like that / I really love that.

How is Volim to. pronounced?

Approximate pronunciation:

• Volim: VOH-leem

  • v as in vase
  • o as in pot
  • li like lee
  • stress normally on the first syllable: VO-lim

• to: toh

  • like toe, but shorter and crisper

Together: VO-lim to (all short, no diphthongs, each syllable clearly pronounced).

What is the infinitive of volim, and how is it conjugated?

The infinitive is voljeti = to love / to like.

Present tense (singular and plural):

• ja volim – I love
• ti voliš – you (sg.) love
• on/ona/ono voli – he/she/it loves
• mi volimo – we love
• vi volite – you (pl./formal) love
• oni/one/ona vole – they love

So Volim to. is 1st person singular present: I love / I like that.

Can I change the word order and say To volim?

Yes, you can, and it changes the emphasis, not the basic meaning.

• Volim to. – neutral statement: I like that.
• To volim. – emphasis on to: That is what I like (as opposed to something else).

Similar to English difference between:

• I like that. (neutral)
• That I like. (focusing on “that”)

Can I drop to and just say Volim?

Not normally, not in the same way.

• Volim. on its own sounds incomplete in most contexts, like just saying “I love.” with no object.

You need some object or complement:

• Volim te. = I love you.
• Volim ga. = I love him / it (masc.).
• Volim čaj. = I like tea.
• Volim to. = I like that.

You could answer a question like:

• Što radiš? (What are you doing?)
  Razmišljam o tome što volim. (I’m thinking about what I love.)

But just Volim. as a standalone sentence is very unusual.

How do I say I love you with the same verb?

Use te (you, object form) instead of to:

• Volim te. = I love you.

Compare:

• Volim to. = I like/love that / I like/love it.
• Volim te. = I love you.

Te is the unstressed object form of ti (you, singular informal).

Is the period "." necessary in Volim to.?

In normal written sentences, yes: Volim to. is a full sentence and takes a period.

In texting, social media, or notes, Croatians often drop the period, just like in English:

• Volim to (informal)
• Volim to. (standard writing)

Is voljeti used for both people and things, or only for romantic love?

Voljeti is used very broadly, not only for romantic love:

• For people:
  • Volim te. = I love you.
  • Volim svoju obitelj. = I love my family.
• For things/activities:
  • Volim kavu. = I love/like coffee.
  • Volim plivati. = I like swimming.
  • Volim to. = I like/love that.

Context and tone decide how strong or “romantic” it sounds; grammatically it’s the same verb.