Questions & Answers about Naša odluka je jasna.
Word by word:
- naša – our (feminine singular form of “our”)
- odluka – decision (a feminine noun)
- je – is (3rd person singular of the verb biti – “to be”)
- jasna – clear (adjective, feminine singular form)
So the structure is: Our decision is clear.
In Croatian, possessive adjectives like naš (“our”) agree with the gender and number of the noun they describe.
- odluka is a feminine singular noun.
- Therefore, “our” must also be feminine singular → naša.
Basic forms of “our”:
- Masculine singular: naš – naš problem (our problem)
- Feminine singular: naša – naša odluka (our decision)
- Neuter singular: naše – naše dijete (our child)
So: naša odluka = “our decision”.
The adjective jasan (“clear”) must agree with the noun it describes in gender, number, and case.
Base forms of the adjective “clear” in the nominative singular:
- Masculine: jasan – odgovor je jasan (the answer is clear)
- Feminine: jasna – odluka je jasna (the decision is clear)
- Neuter: jasno – pitanje je jasno (the question is clear)
Since odluka is feminine singular nominative, the adjective must also be feminine singular nominative → jasna.
Odluka is in the nominative singular:
- Subject: Naša odluka = Our decision
- Verb: je = is
- Predicative adjective: jasna = clear
With the verb biti (“to be”), the noun on both sides of the verb (if there is a noun on the right) and any describing adjectives stay in the nominative:
- Odluka je jasna. – nominative
- Naš plan je dobar. – nominative
- To je moja sestra. – nominative
So you do not say našu odluku je jasna here.
A rough pronunciation guide:
- Naša – NA-sha
- š is like sh in ship
- odluka – OD-loo-ka (the dl is pronounced as in odd-look-uh compressed)
- je – ye (like ye in yes)
- jasna – YAS-na
In IPA: [ˈnaʃa ˈɔdluka je ˈjasna]
Stress is typically on the first syllable of each word: NA‑ša, OD‑lu‑ka, JE, JAS‑na.
Yes, Croatian allows some flexibility in word order. All of these are grammatically correct:
- Naša odluka je jasna.
- Neutral, simple statement.
- Odluka je jasna.
- “The decision is clear.”
- Drops naša, so no longer explicitly “our”.
- Naša je odluka jasna.
- Puts naša before the verb, often used to emphasize our decision (as opposed to someone else’s):
- “Our decision is clear (at least).”
- Puts naša before the verb, often used to emphasize our decision (as opposed to someone else’s):
Word order shifts nuance and emphasis, but the basic meaning and grammar remain the same.
In standard Croatian, you should keep the verb je:
- Correct, standard: Naša odluka je jasna.
You might hear Naša odluka jasna in very informal speech, headlines, or slogans, where “to be” is sometimes dropped for brevity or stylistic effect. But for normal, correct sentences, especially as a learner, always use je.
Yes, Croatian often omits words that are obvious from context.
Examples:
Odluka je jasna.
- “The decision is clear.”
- Whose decision? That must be clear from context.
Naša je jasna.
- Literally: “Ours is clear.”
- Elliptical: you’re omitting odluka because it’s understood.
- Common in replies:
- A vaša odluka? – “And your decision?”
- Naša je jasna. – “Ours is clear.”
Your original full sentence is the most explicit and neutral.
Negate the verb je (“is”) by replacing it with nije (“is not”):
- Naša odluka nije jasna.
= “Our decision is not clear.”
Pattern:
- je → nije
- Plan je dobar. → Plan *nije dobar.*
Two common ways:
Je li naša odluka jasna?
- Neutral, standard question form.
- Literally: “Is our decision clear?”
Da li je naša odluka jasna?
- Very common in speech, especially regionally.
- Also: “Is our decision clear?”
Both expect an answer like:
- Da, naša odluka je jasna. – Yes, our decision is clear.
- Ne, naša odluka nije jasna. – No, our decision is not clear.
You need the plural of both the noun and the adjective:
- Singular: Naša odluka je jasna. – Our decision is clear.
- Plural: Naše odluke su jasne. – Our decisions are clear.
Changes:
- naša → naše (feminine plural “our”)
- odluka → odluke (plural of “odluka”)
- je → su (3rd person plural of “to be”)
- jasna → jasne (feminine plural form of “clear”)
Croatian has no articles like English “a/an” or “the”.
Definiteness is usually clear from:
- Context
- Possessives (e.g. naša – “our”)
- Demonstratives (e.g. ta odluka – “that decision”)
So Naša odluka je jasna. can only mean “Our decision is clear”; you don’t need (and can’t add) a separate word for “the”.
The sentence Naša odluka je jasna. is:
- Grammatically correct
- Spelled the same
- Understood the same
in Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin (in Latin script). All would interpret it as “Our decision is clear.”