On je glasan.

He is loud.

Breakdown of On je glasan.

• biti: to be
• on: he
• glasan: loud

Questions & Answers about On je glasan.

What does On je glasan literally mean, word by word?

• On = he
• je = is (3rd person singular of biti – to be)
• glasan = loud (masculine form of the adjective)

So the literal translation is: He is loud.

Why do we need je here? Can I just say On glasan?

You need je because Croatian normally uses the verb biti (to be) to link the subject and an adjective in the present tense.

• On je glasan. = He is loud. ✅
• On glasan. ❌ – sounds incomplete/wrong in standard Croatian.

Unlike some languages that can drop the verb to be in the present, standard Croatian keeps it in sentences like this.

Does On je glasan mean he is always loud (by nature) or loud right now?

It can mean either, depending on context and intonation:

• As a general characteristic:
  
  • On je glasan. = He is a loud person. (He often talks loudly, has a loud voice, etc.)
• As a temporary state:
  
  • On je glasan. = He is loud (right now).

Croatian does not have a separate is vs is being form like English, so On je glasan can cover both meanings. Context usually makes it clear.

Why is it glasan and not something like glasno or glasna?

Glasan is an adjective that has to agree with the noun (or pronoun) in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here:

• On = he → masculine singular, nominative.
• The adjective must match: glasan = masculine, singular, nominative.

Other forms:

• Ona je glasna. = She is loud. (feminine)
• Ono je glasno. = It is loud. (neuter)
• Oni su glasni. = They are loud. (masculine/mixed plural)
• One su glasne. = They are loud. (feminine plural)

Glasno is usually the neuter form, and also the adverb meaning loudly.

What is the difference between glasan and glasno?

• glasan – adjective, masculine form

  • On je glasan. = He is loud.
    (describes him, a masculine noun/pronoun)

• glasno –

  1. Neuter adjective form (for neuter nouns):
     
     • Dijete je glasno. = The child is loud.
  2. Adverb = loudly:
     
     • On govori glasno. = He speaks loudly.

So in On je glasan, you must use the masculine adjective form, not the adverb.

Can I change the word order? Is Glasan je on or Glasan je possible?

Word order is a bit flexible in Croatian, but with short sentences you must be careful:

• On je glasan. = neutral and most common. ✅
• On je jako glasan. = He is very loud. ✅

With emphasis, you can sometimes move the adjective:

• Glasan je. – can mean He is loud, but it sounds like you’re stressing loud, often in a response or contrast (e.g. Nije tih, glasan je. – He’s not quiet, he’s loud.).
• Glasan je on. – possible in poetic or strongly contrastive speech, but sounds marked/emphatic.

For a beginner, stick to On je glasan. as the normal, neutral order.

Can I drop on and just say Je glasan?

No, you cannot say Je glasan on its own.

You can drop on, but only if the subject is clear from context, and then you usually say:

• Glasan je. (not Je glasan)

Croatian is a pro‑drop language; the subject pronoun (on, ona, etc.) is often omitted when it’s obvious:

• (Talking about Marko)
  
  • Marko je glasan. → then later just Glasan je.

But Je glasan by itself is not natural; clitic verbs like je almost never start the sentence.

How do I pronounce On je glasan?

Approximate pronunciation using English sounds:

• On – like ohn (short, pure o as in [ɔ]; no nasalization)
• je – like yeh (as in yes)
• glasan – GLA-san
  
  • g always hard, like g in go
  • a like a in father
  • stress usually on the first syllable: GLA-san

Rough IPA: [ɔn jɛ ɡlasan] (stress on GLA).

What is the full conjugation of the verb biti (to be) in the present tense, like je?

Biti (to be) – present tense:

• 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 polite)
• oni / one / ona su = they are

In On je glasan, you use je because the subject is on (he), 3rd person singular.

How do I say She is loud or They are loud?

Change both the pronoun and the adjective so that they agree in gender and number:

• She is loud.

  • Ona je glasna. (feminine singular)

• It is loud.

  • Ono je glasno. (neuter singular)

• They are loud.

  • Oni su glasni. (masculine or mixed group plural)
  • One su glasne. (all‑female group plural)
  • Ona su glasna. (neuter plural – things, children, etc.)

Notice how both the verb (je/su) and the adjective ending (-an, -na, -no, -ni, -ne, -na) change.

How do I make the sentence negative: He is not loud?

You add ne to je to form nije:

• On nije glasan. = He is not loud.

Similarly for other persons:

• Ja nisam glasan / glasna. = I am not loud.
• Ti nisi glasan / glasna. = You are not loud.
• On / ona / ono nije glasan / glasna / glasno.
• Mi nismo glasni / glasne.
• Vi niste glasni / glasne.
• Oni / one / ona nisu glasni / glasne / glasna.

Is there a difference between On je glasan and On je glasniji?

Yes:

• On je glasan. = He is loud. (describes loudness in general)
• On je glasniji. = He is louder. (comparative – louder than someone or something else)

Similarly:

• glasan = loud
• glasniji = louder
• najglasniji = the loudest

Is there another common word for loud in Croatian besides glasan?

Yes, a very common synonym is bučan:

• On je bučan. = He is noisy / loud.

Subtle differences:

• glasan – focuses more on volume (voice, sound level).
• bučan – often implies noise, disturbance, racket.

In many everyday situations, they can be used interchangeably.