Na karti vidimo koliko je stadion udaljen od jezera i od našeg trga.

Breakdown of Na karti vidimo koliko je stadion udaljen od jezera i od našeg trga.

biti
to be
i
and
vidjeti
to see
na
on
naš
our
od
from
karta
map
koliko
how
trg
square
stadion
stadium
jezero
lake
udaljen
far
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Questions & Answers about Na karti vidimo koliko je stadion udaljen od jezera i od našeg trga.

What does na karti mean exactly, and what case is karti?

Na karti means “on the map.”

  • karta = map (nominative singular, dictionary form)
  • karti = locative singular

The preposition na + locative is used for a static location (“on something”):

  • na stolu – on the table
  • na zidu – on the wall
  • na karti – on the map

So karti is in the locative case, required by na when it means “on” in a static sense.


Why is it na karti and not u karti?

Both na and u can translate as “on/in” or “at,” but they’re used differently.

  • na karti – literally “on the map” (as on a surface or representation)
  • u karti would mean “inside the map,” which sounds wrong in this context

Croatian tends to use:

  • na for surfaces, media, and some abstract locations:
    • na stolu (on the table)
    • na slici (in/on the picture)
    • na karti (on the map)
  • u for being physically inside something:
    • u kući (in the house)
    • u jezeru (in the lake)

So na karti is the natural choice.


What does vidimo express here, and how is it different from something like možemo vidjeti?

Vidimo is 1st person plural, present tense of vidjeti – “we see.”

  • Na karti vidimo… = “On the map, we see…”

Using vidimo:

  • Focuses on the actual perception: we (simply) see it.
  • Is shorter and more neutral.

If you say možemo vidjeti (“we can see / we are able to see”):

  • You add an idea of possibility or ability:
    • “On the map, we can see…” (it is possible for us to see).

Both are grammatically correct; in this sentence vidimo is more direct and natural.


Why is the word order koliko je stadion udaljen and can I say koliko je udaljen stadion instead?

Both:

  • koliko je stadion udaljen
  • koliko je udaljen stadion

are grammatically correct and mean “how far the stadium is.”

Word order in Croatian is relatively flexible; both patterns are common:

  • koliko je stadion udaljen – slightly more neutral here, keeps stadion early.
  • koliko je udaljen stadion – puts a bit more emphasis on udaljen (“far”).

In everyday speech, you’ll hear both. The sentence as given is very natural.


What exactly is udaljen, and how is it different from daleko?

Udaljen is a word derived from a verb participle that functions as an adjective, meaning “distant / far (away)”. It’s used in a structure like:

  • Stadion je udaljen 2 kilometra od jezera.
    The stadium is 2 kilometers away from the lake.

Here, udaljen behaves like a normal adjective:

  • masculine, singular, agreeing with stadion.

Daleko is an adverb meaning “far”:

  • Stadion je daleko. – The stadium is far (away).
  • Koliko je daleko stadion? – How far is the stadium?

You can often rephrase:

  • koliko je stadion udaljenkoliko je stadion daleko

The udaljen + od construction is especially common for expressing distance from something:

  • udaljen od jezera – far from the lake

What case is jezera in od jezera, and why does it have that form?

Jezera in od jezera is genitive singular of jezero (lake).

  • jezero – nominative singular (dictionary form)
  • jezera – genitive singular

The preposition od (“from”) almost always takes the genitive case:

  • od kuće – from the house
  • od grada – from the city
  • od jezera – from the lake

So jezera is simply genitive because od requires it.


Why is it od našeg trga and not od naš trg?

Again, od requires the genitive case.

  • trg – square (nominative singular, masculine)
  • trga – genitive singular

The adjective naš (our) must agree in gender, number, and case with trg.

  • nominative: naš trg – our square
  • genitive: našeg trga – of/from our square

Because of od, you have to use the genitive:

  • od našeg trga – from our square

Why is od repeated in od jezera i od našeg trga? Can I drop the second od?

In Croatian you can say either:

  1. od jezera i od našeg trga
  2. od jezera i našeg trga

Both are grammatically correct.

  • Repeating od (version 1) is very clear and natural and is often slightly more careful or emphatic.
  • Omitting the second od (version 2) is also common; the single preposition is “understood” to apply to both nouns.

In this sentence, the repeated od just makes the structure slightly more explicit:
“from the lake and from our square.”


Why is there no word for “the” in stadion, jezera, and trga?

Croatian has no articles (no equivalents of “a/an” or “the”).

Whether something is specific or general is understood from:

  • context
  • word order
  • pronouns or demonstratives (like taj, ovaj, etc.)

So:

  • stadion can mean “a stadium” or “the stadium”
  • jezera can be “of a lake” or “of the lake”
  • trga can be “of a square” or “of the square”

Your English translation chooses “the” because it sounds natural: you probably have a specific stadium, lake, and square in mind.


Can I change the word order to Vidimo na karti koliko je stadion udaljen…? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, you can say:

  • Na karti vidimo koliko je stadion udaljen…
  • Vidimo na karti koliko je stadion udaljen…

Both are correct and mean the same thing.

The difference is only in focus:

  • Starting with Na karti emphasizes “on the map” (the location of this information).
  • Starting with Vidimo emphasizes the act of seeing.

In normal conversation, both versions sound fine and natural.


Could I instead say koliko je daleko stadion od jezera i od našeg trga?

Yes, that’s also correct and natural:

  • Na karti vidimo koliko je daleko stadion od jezera i od našeg trga.

This uses the adverb daleko (“far”) instead of the adjective/participle udaljen.

Meaning is effectively the same: “how far the stadium is from the lake and from our square.”

Stylistically:

  • koliko je stadion udaljen – a bit more formal / textbook-like, very common in written language.
  • koliko je daleko stadion – slightly more conversational in feel, but still fully standard.

Why is there no mi (“we”) before vidimo?

Croatian is a pro-drop language: subject pronouns (ja, ti, on, mi, etc.) are usually omitted when the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

  • vidimo clearly indicates 1st person plural (“we”) from its ending -mo.
  • So saying Mi vidimo is not wrong, but it’s unnecessary unless you want to emphasize “we” (as opposed to someone else).

In neutral sentences, the subject pronoun is often dropped:

  • Vidimo kuću. – We see the house.
  • Idemo kući. – We are going home.

So Na karti vidimo… naturally implies “On the map, we see…” without saying mi.