Moji prijatelji su mi dragi.

My friends are dear to me.

Breakdown of Moji prijatelji su mi dragi.

• biti: to be
• prijatelj: friend
• moj: my
• mi: me
• drag: dear

Questions & Answers about Moji prijatelji su mi dragi.

What does mi mean here, and why isn’t it just ja?

Mi here is a short (clitic) form of meni, which is the dative form of ja (I).

• ja = I (nominative, the subject form)
• meni / mi = to me, for me (dative, an indirect object)

The sentence literally means: “My friends are dear to me.”
So Croatian uses the dative: dear to whom → mi.

You cannot say “Moji prijatelji su ja dragi”, because ja is nominative and doesn’t fit the “to whom?” role. You need mi/meni for that.

What is the difference between mi and meni?

Both mean “to me”, but:

• mi = short, unstressed form (clitic), used in normal, flowing speech
• meni = full, stressed form, used for emphasis or when standing alone

Examples:

• Moji prijatelji su mi dragi.
  = My friends are dear to me. (neutral, normal)

• Moji prijatelji su meni dragi.
  = It is *to me that my friends are dear (extra emphasis on *me).

Also, clitics like mi tend to stand in “second position” in the sentence (after the first stressed word or phrase). That’s why it appears after su or after the first element of the clause.

Why is it moji prijatelji, not moja prijatelji or moje prijatelji?

Because prijatelji is masculine plural (nominative), and the possessive adjective moj must agree with it in gender, number, and case.

• prijatelj (friend, m. sg.) → moj prijatelj
• prijatelji (friends, m. pl.) → moji prijatelji

Forms of moj in nominative:

• masculine singular: moj (moj prijatelj)
• feminine singular: moja (moja prijateljica)
• neuter singular: moje (moje dijete)
• masculine plural: moji (moji prijatelji)
• feminine plural: moje (moje prijateljice, moje knjige)
• neuter plural: moja (moja sela)

So for prijatelji (m. pl.), you must use moji.

Why is the adjective dragi and not drag, draga, or drage?

Dragi is an adjective, and it must match prijatelji in gender, number, and case.

• prijatelji = masculine plural, nominative
• So the adjective must be masculine plural nominative → dragi

Compare:

• Moj prijatelj je drag. (my friend is dear – m. sg.)
• Moja prijateljica je draga. (my female friend is dear – f. sg.)
• Moji prijatelji su dragi. (my friends are dear – m. pl.)
• Moje prijateljice su drage. (my female friends are dear – f. pl.)

In Moji prijatelji su mi dragi, dragi agrees with prijatelji.

Could I say “Moji prijatelji su dragi” without mi? What would change?

Yes, you can say:

• Moji prijatelji su dragi.

This means “My friends are nice / kind / dear (people in general).”
It describes their character, but it doesn’t explicitly say they are dear to you.

When you say:

• Moji prijatelji su mi dragi.

you add “to me”, making it more personal:
“I’m fond of my friends / My friends are dear to me.”

So mi shifts the focus from “they are nice people” to “I feel affection for them.”

Why do we need su? Can it be dropped like in some languages?

Su is the present tense of biti (to be), 3rd person plural:

• ja sam
• ti si
• on/ona/ono je
• mi smo
• vi ste
• oni/one/ona su

In Moji prijatelji su mi dragi, su links the subject to the adjective, just like “are” in English:

• My friends are dear to me.

In standard Croatian, you do not drop su in this kind of sentence. Some dialects or very informal speech may omit forms of biti, but in proper standard language, su is required here.

Why is mi placed after su? Can I say “Moji prijatelji mi su dragi”?

Short answer: No, “Moji prijatelji mi su dragi” is not natural or standard.

Reason: mi is a clitic pronoun, and Croatian clitics follow strict word‑order rules. Typically, they go into “second position” in the clause, after the first stressed word or phrase.

In this sentence:

• Moji prijatelji = first phrase (the subject)
• then come the clitics: su mi
• then the rest: dragi

So the natural standard orders are:

• Moji prijatelji su mi dragi.
• Prijatelji su mi dragi.

You can move other parts to change emphasis, but clitics like mi generally stay grouped with other clitics (like su) and keep to this “second position” rule.

What exactly does dragi mean here? Is it “dear”, “nice”, or “expensive”?

Dragi primarily means “dear”, “beloved”, or “precious” when talking about people.

In Moji prijatelji su mi dragi, it means:

• “My friends are dear to me.”
• or more naturally: “I’m fond of my friends.”

Depending on context, drag / draga / drago / dragi can also mean:

• nice, pleasant:
  On je jako drag. – He’s very nice (a nice person).
• expensive (usually skup is more common, but drag can have that meaning in older or poetic usage).

In this sentence, the emotional meaning “dear / dear to me” is clearly intended.

How would the sentence change in the singular: “My (male) friend is dear to me”?

For one male friend:

• Moj prijatelj mi je drag.

Changes:

• Moji prijatelji (my friends, m. pl.) → Moj prijatelj (my friend, m. sg.)
• su (3rd person plural of biti) → je (3rd person singular)
• dragi (m. pl.) → drag (m. sg.)

The dative mi stays the same:

• Moj prijatelj mi je drag.
  = My (male) friend is dear to me.

How would I say “My (female) friends are dear to me”?

Use the feminine noun prijateljica (friend, female):

• singular: prijateljica
• plural: prijateljice

So:

• Moje prijateljice su mi drage.

Agreement:

• prijateljice = feminine plural
• possessive: moje (f. pl.)
• adjective: drage (f. pl.)
• verb: su (3rd person plural)
• dative: mi (to me)

Literally: “My (female) friends are dear to me.”

What cases are used in this sentence?

In Moji prijatelji su mi dragi, you have:

• Moji prijatelji – nominative plural masculine
  → subject of the sentence (“who/what is dear?”)

• dragi – nominative plural masculine
  → predicate adjective, agrees with prijatelji

• mi – dative singular (of ja)
  → indirect object (“dear to whom?”)

So the structure is:

• [NOM] Moji prijatelji
• [3rd pl. of biti] su
• [DAT] mi
• [NOM, agreeing with subject] dragi.

Is there another common way to express “My friends are dear to me” in Croatian?

Yes, some close alternatives with slightly different nuances:

1. Volim svoje prijatelje.
   = I love my friends.
   More direct, emotional; uses voljeti (to love).

2. Jako mi znače moji prijatelji.
   = My friends mean a lot to me. / My friends are very important to me.

3. Moji prijatelji mi puno znače.
   = My friends mean a lot to me.

But Moji prijatelji su mi dragi is a very natural, slightly softer way to say you’re fond of your friends.