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Imam jedan mali problem.

Imam jedan mali problem.
I have one small problem.

Breakdown of Imam jedan mali problem.

imati
to have
mali
small
problem
problem
jedan
one
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Questions & Answers about Imam jedan mali problem.

Why is there no separate word for I in Imam jedan mali problem?

Croatian usually leaves out subject pronouns (like ja = I) because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

  • imam ends in -am, which clearly marks 1st person singular (I).
  • So imam on its own already means I have.

You can say Ja imam jedan mali problem, but ja is only added for emphasis or contrast (like I have a small problem, not someone else).

Why is there no word for a in this sentence?

Croatian has no articles (no a/an and no the). The idea of a problem vs the problem is usually understood from context, not from a separate word.

In Imam jedan mali problem, the a in English is simply not translated.
The basic version is:

  • Imam mali problem. = I have a small problem.
If there are no articles, why do we see jedan here? Doesn’t that mean one?

Yes, jedan literally means one. In this sentence, it can play two roles at the same time:

  1. Literal number: I have one small problem (not two or more).
  2. Stylistic/softening: It often works a bit like English a plus a softener, something like
    • I have this small problem…
    • I have a bit of a small problem…

You can say both:

  • Imam mali problem. – neutral: I have a small problem.
  • Imam jedan mali problem. – slightly more specific or softening/introductory.

Both are correct; context decides which sounds more natural.

What exactly does imam mean grammatically?

Imam is:

  • from the verb imati = to have
  • present tense
  • 1st person singular (I)

Basic present forms:

  • ja imam – I have
  • ti imaš – you have (singular)
  • on/ona/ono ima – he/she/it has
  • mi imamo – we have
  • vi imate – you have (plural or formal)
  • oni/one/ona imaju – they have
What case is problem in here, and why?

Problem is in the accusative singular.

Reason:

  • The verb imati (to have) takes a direct object in the accusative.
  • Masculine inanimate nouns like problem have the same form in nominative and accusative singular.

So:

  • Nominative: problem (subject) – Problem je velik. = The problem is big.
  • Accusative: problem (object) – Imam problem. = I have a problem.

Same spelling, different grammatical role.

Why is it mali problem, not mala problem or malo problem?

Adjectives in Croatian must agree with the noun in:

  • gender
  • number
  • case

Problem is:

  • masculine
  • singular
  • accusative (same form as nominative)

So the adjective also has to be:

  • masculine, singular, accusative → mali

Compare:

  • mali problem – small problem (masc.)
  • mala kuća – small house (fem.)
  • malo dijete – small child (neuter)
Why is the word order jedan mali problem, and not mali jedan problem?

The normal order in Croatian is:

  1. numeral → 2. adjective → 3. noun

So:

  • jedan mali problem – one small problem

Mali jedan problem would sound odd and is usually not used.
You can, however, sometimes move the whole phrase for emphasis:

  • Imam jedan mali problem. – neutral.
  • Jedan mali problem imam. – possible, but sounds poetic or strongly emphasized, not everyday neutral speech.
Is Imam jedan mali problem a polite phrase? When would you actually say this?

Yes, it’s often used as a polite, soft way to introduce a complaint, a difficulty, or a request, similar to English:

  • I have a small problem…
  • There’s a little problem…

You might say it:

  • to a customer service agent
  • to a friend before explaining an issue
  • to a teacher, coworker, doctor, etc.

Tone and context can make it sound more serious or more casual, but structurally it’s neutral and perfectly polite.

How would I say I have two small problems or I have some small problems?

For two small problems:

  • Imam dva mala problema.

Notes:

  • dva (2) with masculine nouns
  • noun plural: problem → problemi (nom.)
  • after numbers like 2, 3, 4, the noun is in genitive singular in form: problema
  • adjective: mala (a short plural-like form used with numbers)

For some small problems (vague quantity):

  • Imam nekoliko malih problema. – I have a few/some small problems.

Here:

  • nekoliko = several/some
  • malih problema is genitive plural.
How would I say I had a small problem and I will have a small problem?

Past tense (I had a small problem):

  • masculine speaker: Imao sam mali problem.
  • feminine speaker: Imala sam mali problem.

Future tense (I will have a small problem):

  • Imat ću mali problem.
    (You’ll also see it written as Imaću in some regional/other standard variants, but in standard Croatian spelling Imat ću is preferred.)
How do I make this sentence negative? Is Nemam jedan mali problem correct?

To negate imam, you use nemam:

  • Nemam = I don’t have.

But you usually wouldn’t say Nemam jedan mali problem. That sounds like I don’t have one small problem (implying you might have more, or something else).

More natural negatives:

  • Nemam mali problem. – I don’t have a small problem.
  • Nemam nikakav problem. – I don’t have any problem at all.
  • Nemam problema. – I have no problems / I don’t have problems.

So a common, idiomatic way to say I don’t have a problem is:

  • Nemam problema.
How do you pronounce Imam jedan mali problem?

Approximate pronunciation (using English-like spelling):

  • Imam → EE-mahm (both m’s clearly pronounced)
  • jedan → YEH-dahn
  • mali → MAH-lee
  • problem → PROH-blem (rolled r, clear e at the end)

Stress is typically on the first syllable of each word:

  • Ìmam jèdan mȁli pròblem.

All letters are pronounced; there are no silent letters.