Kad ne znaš odgovor, bolje je da šutiš.

When you don't know the answer, it is better that you keep silent.

Breakdown of Kad ne znaš odgovor, bolje je da šutiš.

• biti: to be
• ne: not
• kad: when
• znati: to know
• odgovor: answer
• da: that
• bolje: better
• šutjeti: to stay silent

Questions & Answers about Kad ne znaš odgovor, bolje je da šutiš.

What is the difference between kad and kada here? Can I use both?

Kad and kada mean the same thing: “when.”

• Kad is the shorter, more colloquial form.
• Kada is slightly more formal or careful speech, and you’ll see it often in writing.

In this sentence, both are grammatically correct:

• Kad ne znaš odgovor, bolje je da šutiš.
• Kada ne znaš odgovor, bolje je da šutiš.

The meaning doesn’t change. In everyday speech, kad is very common.

Why is the present tense used in ne znaš instead of some conditional or future form?

Croatian often uses the present tense to talk about general truths or habitual situations, just like English does in sentences like:

• “When you don’t know the answer, it’s better to be quiet.”

So ne znaš (“you don’t know”) is present tense, but the whole sentence is understood as a general rule, not a specific moment:

• Kad ne znaš odgovor = When(ever) you don’t know the answer (in general)

You wouldn’t normally say something like kad nećeš znati odgovor here; that would sound odd and too specific or future-oriented.

Why is odgovor (answer) not changed in form? Shouldn’t there be a case ending?

There is a case at work here: odgovor is in the accusative case, used for direct objects.

But for masculine inanimate nouns like odgovor, the accusative singular form is identical to the nominative singular:

• Nominative (subject): odgovor je točan – The answer is correct.
• Accusative (object): znam odgovor – I know the answer.

So in ne znaš odgovor, odgovor is grammatically in the accusative, even though it looks like the basic dictionary form.

Why is there a comma between Kad ne znaš odgovor and bolje je da šutiš?

The comma separates:

1. A subordinate clause of time/condition:
   
   • Kad ne znaš odgovor – When you don’t know the answer
2. The main clause:
   
   • bolje je da šutiš – it’s better that you keep quiet.

In Croatian, a clause introduced by kad/kada is usually followed by a comma when it comes before the main clause. If the order is reversed, you normally don’t use a comma:

• Bolje je da šutiš kad ne znaš odgovor. (no comma)

What does the structure bolje je da + present tense mean exactly?

Bolje je da + present tense can be translated roughly as:

• “It’s better that …”
• Often corresponding to English “you’d better …” or “it’s better if you …”

In this sentence:

• Bolje je da šutiš ≈ It’s better that you keep quiet / You’d better keep quiet.

This structure is very common for recommendations, advice, or soft warnings:

• Bolje je da ideš. – You’d better go.
• Bolje je da to ne radiš. – You’d better not do that.

Why is da used before šutiš instead of an infinitive like šutjeti?

Croatian often uses a “da + present tense” clause where English would use:

• an infinitive (to be quiet), or
• a that-clause (that you be quiet / that you keep quiet).

Here:

• bolje je da šutiš literally: it is better that you are quiet / that you keep silent.

A version with an infinitive is also possible but stylistically different:

• Bolje je šutjeti. – It’s better to be quiet (in general).

The “bolje je da + present” pattern focuses more on a specific person or situation: better that you (in this case) keep quiet, not just a general statement about quietness.

Is šutiš an imperative, like “shut up”? It doesn’t look like the verb form I’d expect.

No, šutiš is not an imperative. It is the present tense, 2nd person singular of šutjeti (to be silent / to keep quiet).

• ti šutiš – you are silent / you keep quiet.

The imperative (command form) is:

• Šuti! – Be quiet! / Shut up!

In bolje je da šutiš, the form is present tense in a “da” clause, which often expresses a suggestion, recommendation, or desired action, not a direct command.

Does šutjeti have a rude connotation like “shut up,” or is it neutral?

The base verb šutjeti itself is neutral: it just means “to be silent, to keep quiet.”

Rudeness depends on:

• Form:
  
  • Šuti! can sound quite direct and often rude, similar to “Shut up!”
  • It can be milder in some contexts (e.g., joking with friends), but in many situations it’s not polite.
• Context and tone: Said calmly vs. shouted angrily.

In bolje je da šutiš, it’s more like giving blunt advice than a direct insult. Still, it’s not very soft or euphemistic; it sounds quite straightforward and possibly a bit harsh.

Why is there no ti (you) in the sentence? How do we know it means “you”?

Croatian is a pro‑drop language: subject pronouns (ja, ti, on, mi, vi, oni) are often omitted because the verb endings already show the person.

• znaš and šutiš are 2nd person singular forms, so the subject must be “you” (ti).

Full version:

• Kad ti ne znaš odgovor, bolje je da ti šutiš.

This is grammatically correct but sounds:

• redundant,
• and in normal speech, a bit overemphatic.

You only add ti if you want to stress you in particular:

• Kad ti ne znaš odgovor, bolje je da ti šutiš, a ne drugi.
  When you don’t know the answer, it’s you who should keep quiet, not others.

How would I say this politely to more than one person, or in a formal way?

Use the 2nd person plural (vi-form), which covers both:

• speaking to more than one person, and
• polite/formal singular (you in a respectful way).

Change the verb endings:

• Kad ne znate odgovor, bolje je da šutite.
  • znate – you (plural/formal) know
  • šutite – you (plural/formal) keep quiet

This sounds less like you’re talking to one person informally, and more like a teacher, lecturer, or someone addressing a group, or speaking politely to one person.

Can I change the word order, for example: Bolje je da šutiš kad ne znaš odgovor?

Yes. Croatian word order is flexible, especially with whole clauses.

Both are natural:

1. Kad ne znaš odgovor, bolje je da šutiš.
2. Bolje je da šutiš kad ne znaš odgovor.

The meaning is the same. The difference is just what you foreground:

• Version 1 starts with the condition (“When you don’t know the answer…”).
• Version 2 starts with the advice (“It’s better that you keep quiet when…”).

Both are fine and sound normal in everyday speech.

Why is ne placed directly before znaš? Could it go somewhere else?

In Croatian, the basic rule for negation with a verb is:

• Put ne directly in front of the finite verb.

So:

• znaš – you know
• ne znaš – you don’t know

You cannot separate ne from the verb or put it after it:

• ✗ kad znaš ne odgovor – incorrect
• ✗ kad ne odgovor znaš – incorrect

The same with other verbs:

• govorim – I speak → ne govorim – I don’t speak
• razumijem – I understand → ne razumijem – I don’t understand

What aspect do znati and šutjeti have, and does it matter here?

Both znati (“to know”) and šutjeti (“to be silent / to keep quiet”) are imperfective verbs.

Imperfective verbs in Croatian typically express:

• ongoing or repeated actions,
• states,
• general truths or habits.

That fits this sentence well, because it’s a general rule:

• Kad ne znaš odgovor – whenever you are in a state of not knowing the answer.
• bolje je da šutiš – you should be in the state of keeping quiet (rather than speaking).

There is no perfective counterpart you’d use in this specific proverb-like structure; the imperfective is exactly what’s needed for a general, habitual statement.

Could I say something like Bolje je šutjeti kad ne znaš odgovor instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, this is also correct:

• Bolje je šutjeti kad ne znaš odgovor.
  – It’s better to be quiet when you don’t know the answer.

Differences in nuance:

• Bolje je da šutiš

  • Focuses more on “you doing it” in a specific situation.
  • Often sounds a bit more direct, like advice or warning to the listener.

• Bolje je šutjeti

  • More impersonal, like a general principle: “It’s better to be quiet (in such situations).”
  • Less direct about you personally.

Both are natural; choice depends on how personally you want to phrase the advice.