Learn Hardcore Croatian: Taj film je predug.

known from context, or
just mentioned in the conversation, or
relatively close/neutral in distance (often not as close as ovaj, but not as far as onaj).

In very simplified terms:

ovaj film = this film (physically or mentally close)
taj film = that film (already known / just mentioned / “that one we’re talking about”)
onaj film = that film over there / that film (distant / more removed)

English usually just has this and that, so Croatian splits the idea of “that” into taj (neutral/medium) and onaj (more distant or “that one over there/long ago/over there in time or space”).

Why is the word order “Taj film je predug” and not something else?

The basic word order is:

Taj film (subject: that film)
je (the verb “is”)
predug (predicate adjective: too long)

So it follows a very normal Subject–Verb–Complement pattern.

However, Croatian word order is more flexible than English. You might also see:

Film je predug. – The/that film is too long. (no demonstrative, more general)
Predug je taj film. – Too long is that film. (emphasis on predug, sounds more expressive)

The neutral, default way to say it is Taj film je predug.

Is je always necessary? Can you say “Taj film predug”?

In standard Croatian, you need the verb je (is), so “Taj film je predug” is the correct, complete sentence.

You might hear people drop je in very informal, fast speech, but this is considered colloquial/elliptical, not standard grammar. For proper Croatian, always include je in sentences like this.

What exactly is predug? Is it one word or two words?

Predug is one word. It’s an adjective formed by:

the prefix pre- (meaning too / excessively)
the adjective dug (long)

So pre + dug → predug = too long / excessively long.

It does not mean “very long” in a neutral sense. It carries a negative or critical nuance, like English too long (longer than desirable).

For “very long” without the “too much” feeling, you’d say:

jako dug – very long
vrlo dug – very long

Why does the adjective predug look like that? Does it agree with film?

Yes. In Croatian, adjectives agree with the noun in:

gender (masculine/feminine/neuter)
number (singular/plural)
case (nominative, accusative, etc.)

Here:

film is masculine, singular, nominative
So the adjective must be masculine singular nominative too: predug

Some comparisons:

Taj film je predug. – That film is too long. (masc. sg.)
Ta serija je preduga. – That series is too long. (fem. sg.)
To vrijeme je predugo. – That time is too long. (neut. sg.)
Ti filmovi su predugi. – Those films are too long. (masc. pl.)

The ending changes to match the noun.

How would I say “That film was too long” (past tense)?

You keep the same basic structure and put the verb to be in the past:

Taj film je bio predug. – That film was too long.

Breakdown:

Taj film – that film
je bio – was (literally “is been”, the standard past tense form)
predug – too long

So: Taj film je bio predug.

Can I drop taj and just say “Film je predug”?

Yes, you can, but the meaning shifts slightly:

Taj film je predug. – That film is too long (you’re pointing to a specific film you and the listener both know about)
Film je predug. – The film is too long / A film is too long (more general; context decides whether it feels like “the” or “a”)

Croatian has no articles (the, a), so adding taj / ovaj / onaj often plays the role of specifying “this/that particular” thing, similar to English that or sometimes the.

Why is the verb here je and not jest?

Both je and jest are forms of the verb biti (to be), third person singular present.

je is the normal, everyday clitic form. It’s short, unstressed, and usually appears in second position in the sentence.
jest is a full, stressed form, used rarely, usually for emphasis, contrast, or in more formal/literary styles.

In normal speech, you say:

Taj film je predug.

A more emphatic or literary variant could be:

Taj film jest predug, ali… – That film is indeed too long, but…

For regular speaking and writing, use je.

How would I say “Those films are too long”?

You need to put both the demonstrative and the adjective in the plural, to agree with filmovi (films):

Ti filmovi su predugi. – Those films are too long.

Breakdown:

ti – those (masculine plural)
filmovi – films
su – are (3rd person plural of biti)
predugi – too long (masculine plural)

The pattern is the same as in the singular, just in plural forms.

Does film in Croatian mean “movie” in everyday speech, or is it more formal?

Film in Croatian is used in almost exactly the same way as English film/movie:

It’s the normal everyday word for a movie.
You can use it in casual and formal contexts:
- Gledao sam taj film jučer. – I watched that movie yesterday.
- Volim stare filmove. – I like old movies/films.

So Taj film je predug is perfectly natural in everyday conversation.