Učitelj drži govor u dvorani.

in

Breakdown of Učitelj drži govor u dvorani.

• učitelj: teacher
• dvorana: hall
• držati govor: to give a speech

Questions & Answers about Učitelj drži govor u dvorani.

What does drži govor literally mean, and is this the normal way to say to give a speech in Croatian?

Literally, držati govor means to hold a speech.

This is the most natural, standard way to say to give a speech in Croatian.

Some notes:

• držati govor – ongoing or habitual action:
  
  • Učitelj drži govor u dvorani. = The teacher is giving a speech / gives a speech in the hall.
• There is also a perfective form održati govor (to give/complete a speech), used when you focus on the fact that the speech is (or will be) completed:
  
  • Učitelj će održati govor. = The teacher will give a speech (and finish it).

What case is govor in here, and why does it look like the basic form?

Govor is in the accusative singular case, because it is the direct object of the verb drži (učitelj is holding what? → govor).

For masculine inanimate nouns like govor:

• Nominative singular (dictionary form): govor
• Accusative singular: govor (same form as nominative)

So it looks like the basic form, but in this sentence it functions grammatically as accusative.

Why is it u dvorani and not u dvorana or ?