Learn Hardcore Croatian: Bolje je priznati da je odgovor pogrešan nego šutjeti. - It is better to admit that the answer is wrong than to stay silent.

In Croatian, the short form of the verb biti (to be) – je – is a clitic. Clitics almost always go in the so‑called second position in the clause, after the first stressed word or phrase.

Bolje je priznati
- Bolje = first stressed word
- je = clitic in second position → correct and natural
Je bolje priznati
- Starts with a clitic → this is not natural in standard Croatian

You could change the order differently, for example:

Priznati je bolje nego šutjeti. – Admitting is better than keeping silent.

Here, je is again in second position (after Priznati), so this is also correct, but it slightly changes the emphasis (focus on priznati).

Can I drop je and just say Bolje priznati da je odgovor pogrešan nego šutjeti?

Yes, in everyday speech you will often hear and see:

Bolje priznati da je odgovor pogrešan nego šutjeti.

This is a kind of elliptical (shortened) structure, like English “Better to admit…” instead of “It’s better to admit…”.

Grammatically, Bolje je priznati… is the full form and is stylistically more neutral or slightly more formal, while Bolje priznati… is common and perfectly acceptable in spoken and informal written Croatian.

Why is priznati in the infinitive here? Could it be something like da priznaš?

Priznati is the infinitive, used here in a general, impersonal statement:

Bolje je priznati… = It is better to admit… (generally, in any situation)

You could say, for example:

Bolje je da priznaš da je odgovor pogrešan nego da šutiš.
= It is better that you admit the answer is wrong than that you keep silent.

Main differences:

Infinitive (priznati, šutjeti)
- More general and impersonal
- Feels like a proverb or general principle
Da + finite verb (da priznaš, da šutiš)
- More personal, refers more clearly to a specific you (or another subject)
- Often used when talking about a concrete person/situation

In the original sentence, the infinitive fits the proverbial, general tone.

What exactly does da do in da je odgovor pogrešan?

Here da introduces a subordinate clause, and functions much like English that in:

…to admit that the answer is wrong…

Structure of the clause:

da – complementizer (that)
je – 3rd person singular of biti (is)
odgovor – subject (the answer)
pogrešan – predicate adjective (wrong)

So da je odgovor pogrešan literally = that the answer is wrong. This whole clause is the object of priznati:

priznati [što?] → da je odgovor pogrešan

Why does je appear twice: Bolje je priznati da je odgovor pogrešan? Is that okay?

Yes, that is completely normal, because the two je’s belong to different clauses:

Bolje je priznati…
- je here is the verb “is” for the main clause: “It is better to admit…”
…da je odgovor pogrešan…
- je here is the verb “is” in the subordinate clause: “that the answer is wrong.”

So there is:

one je for “it is better”, and
another je for “the answer is wrong.”

They do not “conflict”; they just serve their own clauses.

Why is it pogrešan and not something like pogrešno or pogrešna?

Pogrešan is an adjective meaning wrong / incorrect / mistaken. It must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun odgovor:

odgovor = masculine, singular, nominative
So the adjective must also be masculine singular nominative: pogrešan

Other forms would match different nouns:

pogrešna – feminine singular nominative
- e.g. rečenica je pogrešna – the sentence is wrong
pogrešno – neuter singular nominative (or an adverb)
- e.g. riješenje je pogrešno – the solution is wrong
- or Odgovorio je pogrešno. – He answered wrongly.

In the given sentence, odgovor is masculine, so pogrešan is the correct form.

Could the word order inside the clause be da je pogrešan odgovor instead of da je odgovor pogrešan?

You can say da je pogrešan odgovor, but it sounds marked and usually gives special emphasis to pogrešan, something like:

…that it is a wrong answer (as opposed to a correct one).

In neutral, everyday speech, the most natural order is:

da je odgovor pogrešan – subject (odgovor) + predicate adjective (pogrešan)

So:

da je odgovor pogrešan = normal, neutral
da je pogrešan odgovor = possible, but sounds more emphatic or contrastive

What does šutjeti mean exactly, and is it used like English “to be silent” or “to keep quiet”?

Šutjeti means to be silent / to keep quiet / to say nothing.

In context:

…nego šutjeti.
= …than to be/keep silent.
= …than to stay quiet.

It usually implies choosing not to speak, often when you could say something. So it’s very close to English “keep quiet” in situations like:

On je cijelo vrijeme šutio. – He kept quiet the whole time.
Nemoj šutjeti, reci što misliš. – Don’t stay silent, say what you think.

Why is šutjeti also in the infinitive? Could I say nego da šutiš?

Šutjeti is in the infinitive to parallel priznati:

Bolje je priznati… nego šutjeti.
= It is better to admit… than to keep silent.

This symmetrical infinitive structure is very natural and compact.

You can use da + finite verb instead, for a more personal version:

Bolje je da priznaš da je odgovor pogrešan nego da šutiš.
= It’s better that you admit the answer is wrong than that you keep silent.

Again:

Infinitive → more general, impersonal
da + verb → more specific, personal

Is there any difference in meaning between priznati and priznavati here?

Yes, the difference is about aspect:

priznati – perfective
- Focus on a single, completed act of admitting
- Here: It is better to (once) admit that the answer is wrong…
priznavati – imperfective
- Focus on a repeated / ongoing action
- Bolje je priznavati da si pogriješio nego šutjeti.
  – It is better to keep admitting / to regularly admit that you were wrong than to stay silent.

In the original sentence, we are talking about the correctness of one answer, so the perfective priznati is the natural choice.

Why is it bolje … nego … and not something like bolje od šutnje?

Croatian usually uses nego to compare actions, clauses, or whole phrases, especially with comparative forms like bolje (better), više (more), manje (less):

Bolje je priznati nego šutjeti.
= It is better to admit than to be silent.
Radije ću otići nego ostati.
= I’d rather go than stay.

You could, in theory, say something like:

Priznanje je bolje od šutnje.
= Admitting is better than silence.

Here od compares nouns (priznanje vs. šutnja). But once you are comparing verbs/clauses (priznati vs. šutjeti), the natural connector is nego, not od.

So in your sentence, bolje … nego … is the standard and idiomatic pattern.