Breakdown of Ako je zvuk preglasan, skinem slušalice da se mogu koncentrirati.
Questions & Answers about Ako je zvuk preglasan, skinem slušalice da se mogu koncentrirati.
Ako means if and introduces a condition. It says that what follows might happen, depending on something.
- Ako je zvuk preglasan, … = If the sound is too loud, …
Kad / kada usually means when and is used when something is expected or seen as more certain or regular.
- Kad je zvuk preglasan, skinem slušalice. = When(ever) the sound is too loud, I take off my headphones.
Your sentence with ako sounds more like a condition: if that happens, then I do this. With kad, it would sound more like a general habit that definitely happens from time to time.
Croatian often uses the present tense in both parts of a real condition:
- Ako je zvuk preglasan, skinem slušalice.
This corresponds to English types like:
- If the sound is too loud, I take off my headphones. (general habit)
or even - If the sound is too loud, I will take off my headphones.
You do not need a special conditional or future marker in the ako‑clause. Present tense is normal for:
- general truths: Ako pada kiša, ulica je mokra.
- habits: Ako kasnim, on se naljuti.
Preglasan literally means over‑loud, so it usually corresponds to too loud – louder than is acceptable, comfortable, or useful.
- glasan = loud
- jako glasan / vrlo glasan = very loud
- preglasan = too loud / excessively loud
So Ako je zvuk preglasan is understood as: If the sound is too loud (for me), not just if it’s very loud.
Both are forms of the verb pair skinuti / skidati:
- skinuti – perfective (focus on a single, complete action)
- skidati – imperfective (focus on duration or repeated/habitual action)
In the present tense:
- skinem = I take off (once, as a complete act)
- skidam = I (tend to) take off / I am taking off
In this type of conditional sentence, both can be heard:
- Ako je zvuk preglasan, skinem slušalice.
- Ako je zvuk preglasan, skidam slušalice.
With skinem, it can sound a bit like a fixed rule: If that situation arises, I (then) take them off.
With skidam, it leans a bit more toward a description of your general habit. In everyday speech, either is acceptable.
Skinuti slušalice literally means to take off (one’s) headphones.
- skinuti = to remove something you’re wearing or that is attached (clothes, glasses, headphones, etc.)
- slušalice = headphones / earphones
It does not mean “remove the sound”. For that you’d say something like smanjiti zvuk (turn the sound down) or utišati zvuk (make the sound quieter).
In Croatian, slušalice (headphones, earphones) is normally used in the plural, just like English headphones.
- slušalica (singular) is usually one earpiece or a telephone handset.
So:
- slušalice = headphones / earphones (the whole set)
- slušalicu (accusative singular) would usually be understood as “one earpiece” or “a phone receiver”, not what you mean here.
That’s why skinem slušalice is the natural phrase.
In skinem slušalice, slušalice is in the accusative plural.
You can tell because:
- slušalice is the direct object of skinem (I take off what? → headphones).
- Feminine nouns in -a often have -e in nominative plural and accusative plural.
- nominative plural: Te slušalice su nove.
- accusative plural: Kupujem nove slušalice.
Formally, the nominative plural and accusative plural often look the same; you decide which it is from the function in the sentence. Here, because it is the thing affected by skinem, it is accusative.
Da se mogu koncentrirati is a purpose clause:
- da = so that / in order that
- mogu = I can (1st person singular present of moći)
- se koncentrirati = to concentrate (reflexive verb)
So:
- skinem slušalice da se mogu koncentrirati ≈ I take off my headphones so that I can concentrate.
Croatian often uses da + finite verb instead of an infinitive to express purpose. Compare:
- English: I take them off to concentrate.
- Croatian: skinem slušalice da se mogu koncentrirati (not da se koncentrirati).
Se is a reflexive pronoun used with many verbs, including koncentrirati se (to concentrate).
- koncentrirati se = to concentrate (literally: to concentrate oneself)
So:
- Mogu se koncentrirati. = I can concentrate.
- Ne mogu se koncentrirati. = I can’t concentrate.
In da se mogu koncentrirati, the reflexive se belongs to koncentrirati se and is needed for the verb to have its normal meaning “to concentrate”.
Yes, mogu se koncentrirati is also correct.
With moći + infinitive, you can place se either:
- Mogu se koncentrirati.
- Se mogu koncentrirati. – rarer and usually only in specific word orders
- Mogu se dobro koncentrirati.
- Dobro se mogu koncentrirati.
In everyday speech, Mogu se koncentrirati is the most neutral order. In your sentence, these are fine:
- … da se mogu koncentrirati.
- … da mogu se koncentrirati. – possible, but less common sounding
The version you gave (da se mogu koncentrirati) is very natural.
That word order is not natural in Croatian.
The usual structure is:
- Conditional clause: Ako je zvuk preglasan,
- Main clause with purpose clause: skinem slušalice da se mogu koncentrirati.
Putting the da‑clause in the middle, between the ako‑clause and the main verb, sounds awkward and confusing. Serbian/Croatian do allow some flexibility, but subordinate clauses like this are normally attached directly to the verb they belong to.
So you should keep:
- Ako je zvuk preglasan, skinem slušalice da se mogu koncentrirati.
Yes. Croatian comma rules require a comma between a subordinate clause and the main clause.
Here:
- Ako je zvuk preglasan, → subordinate if‑clause
- skinem slušalice da se mogu koncentrirati. → main clause (with its own subordinate da‑clause)
So you must write:
- Ako je zvuk preglasan, skinem slušalice…
If the ako‑clause comes second, you still use a comma:
- Skinem slušalice, ako je zvuk preglasan.