Breakdown of Ljeti su turisti svugdje, ali zimi ih skoro nigdje nema.
biti
to be
imati
to have
ne
not
ali
but
Questions & Answers about Ljeti su turisti svugdje, ali zimi ih skoro nigdje nema.
What exactly does ljeti mean, and how is it different from saying u ljeto?
Ljeti is an adverb meaning “in (the) summer, during summer (in general)”. It usually describes something that happens regularly or typically in the summer:
- Ljeti je vruće. – It is hot in (the) summer.
- Ljeti su turisti svugdje. – In summer, tourists are everywhere.
You can say u ljeto, but it is less common and usually feels more specific, often tied to a particular summer:
- U ljeto 1991. – In the summer of 1991.
For general, habitual statements, Croatian speakers strongly prefer ljeti over u ljeto.
Why is zimi used instead of u zimu or u zimi?
Zimi is the standard adverb meaning “in (the) winter, during winter”, parallel to ljeti:
- Zimi je hladno. – In winter it is cold.
- …ali zimi ih skoro nigdje nema. – …but in winter you can hardly find them anywhere.
Forms like u zimu or u zimi are either non‑standard or sound strange/archaic in modern Croatian. For ordinary speech and writing, always use zimi for “in winter” in the general sense.
Why is the word order Ljeti su turisti svugdje and not Ljeti turisti su svugdje?