Pokušavam zadržati dobru energiju čak i kad protivnik vodi.

I try to keep good energy even when the opponent is leading.

Breakdown of Pokušavam zadržati dobru energiju čak i kad protivnik vodi.

• dobar: good
• kad: when
• pokušavati: to try
• voditi: to lead
• čak i: even
• energija: energy
• zadržati: to keep
• protivnik: opponent

Questions & Answers about Pokušavam zadržati dobru energiju čak i kad protivnik vodi.

Why is it pokušavam zadržati and not something like pokušavam da zadržim?

In standard Croatian, the verb pokušavati / pokušati is normally followed by an infinitive:

• Pokušavam zadržati dobru energiju. – I’m trying to keep good energy.

Using da + present tense (pokušavam da zadržim) is much more typical for Serbian or for some colloquial speech in parts of Croatia, but in standard Croatian infinitive after pokušavati is the default and sounds more natural.

So:

• pokušavam zadržati ✅ (standard Croatian)
• pokušavam da zadržim ⚠️ (feels more Serbian / non‑standard in Croatia)

What’s the difference between zadržati, zadržavati, držati, and održati?

These are related but have different nuances and aspect:

• držati – to hold, keep (imperfective, ongoing action)

  • Držim loptu. – I’m holding the ball.

• zadržati – to keep, retain (perfective, result-focused)

  • Pokušavam zadržati dobru energiju. – I’m trying to keep good energy (not lose it).

• zadržavati – imperfective partner of zadržati, focusing on ongoing / repeated action:

  • Pokušavam zadržavati dobru energiju. – I keep trying to maintain good energy (habitually / repeatedly).

• održati – to maintain, to sustain, to hold (an event), perfective:

  • održati koncentraciju – to maintain concentration
  • održati sastanak – to hold a meeting

In this sentence, zadržati is good because the focus is on managing not to lose your good energy, especially in a challenging situation.

What case is dobru energiju, and how can I recognize it?

Dobru energiju is in the accusative singular.

• energija is a feminine noun ending in -a.
• The object of pokušavam zadržati (what are you trying to keep?) must be in the accusative.

• Feminine singular adjective + noun in the accusative usually look like this:

  • Nominative: dobra energija – good energy (as subject)
  • Accusative: dobru energiju – good energy (as object)

So you see:

• dobra → dobru
• energija → energiju

That -u ending on dobru and energiju signals feminine accusative singular here.

Why is it dobru energiju and not just dobra energija?

Because in Croatian, adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

• The base form is dobra energija (feminine singular, nominative).

• In this sentence, dobra energija is not the subject; it is the object of the verb zadržati, so it must be in the accusative:

  • zadržati što? – to keep what?
    → dobru energiju

So both words change:

• dobra → dobru
• energija → energiju

How do I know that energija is feminine?

In Croatian, most nouns ending in -a in their base form (dictionary form) are feminine:

• energija, škola, kava, stolica, kuća → feminine

There are some masculine nouns ending in -a (for example tata, kolega), but they are exceptions and usually refer to male persons.

Because energija ends in -a and is a common abstract noun, you can safely treat it as feminine:

• dobra energija, moja energija, nova energija etc.

What does čak i add to the meaning? How is čak i kad different from just kad?

• kad = when
• čak i = even (emphasizer)

So:

• kad protivnik vodi – when the opponent is leading (neutral)
• čak i kad protivnik vodi – even when the opponent is leading (emphasizes that this situation makes it especially hard or surprising)

Čak i stresses that the action (keeping good energy) continues despite a difficult or less expected situation. It suggests: not only in normal circumstances, but also in this tough one.

What’s the difference between čak i kad and čak i ako?

• kad usually means when (a real or regularly repeating situation).
• ako means if (a condition, something that may or may not happen).

Compare:

• Pokušavam zadržati dobru energiju čak i kad protivnik vodi.
  = I try to keep good energy even when the opponent is leading
  (describes a real, recurring type of situation)

• Pokušat ću zadržati dobru energiju čak i ako protivnik bude vodio.
  = I will try to keep good energy even if the opponent is leading
  (more hypothetical, thinking about a possible future situation)

In your sentence, kad is appropriate because it sounds like something that actually happens in games or matches.

In kad protivnik vodi, why is the verb vodi in the simple present tense? Does it mean “is leading” or “leads”?

Croatian doesn’t have a separate present continuous form like English “is leading”. The present tense (vodi) covers both:

• protivnik vodi can mean:
  • the opponent is leading (right now)
  • the opponent leads (in general descriptions)

Here, kad protivnik vodi means “when the opponent is in the lead / when the opponent is leading”, i.e. at those moments during the match when they are ahead in score.

So you translate it as continuous in English, but grammatically it’s just the simple present in Croatian.

What exactly does vodi from voditi mean here? I thought voditi was “to lead” as in “to guide”.

The verb voditi has several related meanings, all based on the idea of “leading”:

1. to lead, guide

   • Vodim psa u šetnju. – I’m taking the dog for a walk.

2. to manage, run

   • Vodim restoran. – I run a restaurant.

3. to be in the lead (in a game, competition)

   • Naš tim vodi 2:0. – Our team is leading 2–0.

In kad protivnik vodi, it’s the third meaning:
“when the opponent is in the lead / when the opponent is winning (at that moment)”.

Why is there no pronoun ja (“I”) in Pokušavam zadržati…?

In Croatian, subject pronouns (ja, ti, on, ona, ono, mi, vi, oni, one, ona) are usually dropped, because the verb ending already shows the person and number:

• pokušavam clearly indicates 1st person singular (I try).

You would normally add ja only for emphasis or contrast:

• Ja pokušavam zadržati dobru energiju, ali on odustaje.
  – I try to keep good energy, but he gives up.

Without emphasis, Pokušavam zadržati dobru energiju… is the natural way to say it.

Could I change the word order and say Pokušavam čak i kad protivnik vodi zadržati dobru energiju?

You can, and it’s grammatically possible, but it sounds less natural and a bit clumsy in everyday speech.

Croatian word order is relatively flexible, but certain orders feel more fluent. In this sentence, the most natural patterns are:

• Pokušavam zadržati dobru energiju čak i kad protivnik vodi. ✅
• Čak i kad protivnik vodi, pokušavam zadržati dobru energiju. ✅ (more emphasis on the “even when” part)

Putting čak i kad protivnik vodi in the middle of the verb phrase breaks it up awkwardly. Native speakers strongly prefer to keep the verb and its object together (zadržati dobru energiju).

Why is protivnik used instead of neprijatelj? Aren’t both “enemy/opponent”?

They overlap in English, but in Croatian they’re used differently:

• protivnik – opponent
  Used for sports, games, competitions, debates, elections, etc.

  • teniski protivnik – tennis opponent

• neprijatelj – enemy
  Stronger, often hostile or war-related, or someone who really wishes you harm.

  • ratni neprijatelj – enemy in war

In the context of a game or match, protivnik is the natural choice.
Saying neprijatelj here would sound exaggerated or dramatic, not neutral.

How would this sentence change if I want to talk about opponents in plural, not just one opponent?

You would make both the subject and the verb plural:

• Singular:
  Pokušavam zadržati dobru energiju čak i kad protivnik vodi.
  – I try to keep good energy even when the opponent is leading.

• Plural:
  Pokušavam zadržati dobru energiju čak i kad protivnici vode.
  – I try to keep good energy even when the opponents are leading.

Changes:

• protivnik → protivnici (nominative plural)
• vodi → vode (3rd person plural present of voditi)