Word
On briše stol nakon večere.
Meaning
He wipes the table after dinner.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about On briše stol nakon večere.
What exactly does briše mean here, and what is its dictionary form?
Briše means wipes / is wiping / cleans (by wiping).
Its dictionary form (infinitive) is brisati = to wipe, to erase.
In this sentence:
- on briše stol = he wipes / is wiping the table.
Croatian only has one present tense form, so briše can translate both English wipes and is wiping, depending on context.
Is the pronoun On necessary? Could I just say Briše stol nakon večere?
You can drop on.
- On briše stol nakon večere. = He wipes the table after dinner.
- Briše stol nakon večere. = (He/She) wipes the table after dinner.
Croatian is a pro-drop language: subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending (-e in briše) already shows the person and number (3rd person singular).
Use on when:
- You want to emphasise that it’s he (not someone else).
- The context is unclear and you need to specify gender (he vs she).
Why is it stol and not something like stola or stolu? Which case is that?