Zbog malih stvari još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo.

Because of small things I appreciate our friendship even more.

Breakdown of Zbog malih stvari još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo.

• mali: small
• naš: our
• zbog: because of
• stvar: thing
• prijateljstvo: friendship
• još više: even more
• cijeniti: to appreciate

Questions & Answers about Zbog malih stvari još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo.

What does zbog mean here, and which case does it require?

Zbog means because of / due to / on account of.

Grammatically, zbog always takes the genitive case in Croatian.
That’s why you see:

• male stvari (nominative plural) → malih stvari (genitive plural)

So the phrase zbog malih stvari literally means “because of (the) small things”, with malih stvari in the genitive after the preposition zbog.

Why is it malih stvari and not male stvari?

Because of the case:

• male stvari is nominative plural (used for the subject): Male stvari su važne. – Small things are important.
• After zbog, you must use the genitive. The genitive plural of mala stvar is malih stvari.

So:

• ❌ zbog male stvari (wrong form for plural)
• ✅ zbog malih stvari (correct genitive plural)

Formally:

• mala stvar (feminine singular, nominative)
• male stvari (feminine plural, nominative)
• malih stvari (feminine plural, genitive – which is what zbog requires)

What does još više literally mean, and what is its nuance?

Literally:

• još = still / even / more
• više = more

Together, još više means something like “even more” or “still more”.

In this sentence:

• još više cijenim = I appreciate (it) even more

Nuance: you already appreciate the friendship, but because of the small things you appreciate it to an even greater degree than before.

Where does još više normally go in the sentence? Can I move it?

In the original:

• Zbog malih stvari još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo.

Here još više comes right before the verb cijenim, which is the most natural position.

Other possible word orders:

1. Još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo zbog malih stvari.
   – Acceptable. Emphasizes how much more you appreciate it; the reason (zbog malih stvari) comes last.

2. Naše prijateljstvo još više cijenim zbog malih stvari.
   – Also possible, but a bit more marked; it front-loads naše prijateljstvo.

What you usually don’t do is split još and više apart or place još više very far from cijenim. Keeping još više immediately before the verb is the usual pattern.

What tense and person is cijenim, and what is the infinitive?

Cijenim is:

• 1st person singular
• present tense
• verb cijeniti (to value, to appreciate, to respect)

Conjugation in the present (for reference):

• (ja) cijenim – I appreciate
• (ti) cijeniš – you appreciate (singular)
• (on/ona/ono) cijeni – he/she/it appreciates
• (mi) cijenimo – we appreciate
• (vi) cijenite – you appreciate (plural / formal)
• (oni/one/ona) cijene – they appreciate

What is the difference between cijenim naše prijateljstvo and volim naše prijateljstvo?

Both are positive, but the nuance is different:

• cijenim naše prijateljstvo
  = I value / appreciate / respect our friendship.
  It suggests gratitude, recognition of its importance, maybe respect for what the friend does.

• volim naše prijateljstvo
  = I love our friendship.
  This sounds more emotional and affectionate, highlighting your feelings rather than your appreciation.

In this context with zbog malih stvari, cijenim fits very well because it highlights that you value the friendship more because of those small things.

Which case is naše prijateljstvo, and why that form?

Naše prijateljstvo is in the accusative singular, used as the direct object of the verb cijenim.

• Verb: cijenim – I appreciate what? → naše prijateljstvo.

In Croatian, the direct object of many verbs (like to have, to want, to like, to appreciate) is in the accusative case.

Since prijateljstvo is neuter, its nominative and accusative singular forms are the same:

• nominative: prijateljstvo
• accusative: prijateljstvo

But functionally here it is accusative.

Why is it naše prijateljstvo and not naša prijateljstvo or našu prijateljstvo?

Because naše must agree with the noun prijateljstvo in gender, number, and case.

• prijateljstvo is neuter singular.
• In the neuter singular nominative/accusative, the possessive pronoun naš (our) takes the form naše.

So:

• naš (masculine singular: naš prijatelj)
• naša (feminine singular: naša prijateljica)
• naše (neuter singular: naše prijateljstvo)

Našu would be feminine accusative singular, which does not match the neuter noun prijateljstvo.

Can the word order be Još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo zbog malih stvari? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, that word order is perfectly acceptable:

• Još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo zbog malih stvari.

The basic meaning is the same: you appreciate the friendship even more because of small things.

Subtle nuance:

• Original: Zbog malih stvari još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo.
  – Begins with the reason; slightly more focus on the small things as the cause.

• Alternative: Još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo zbog malih stvari.
  – Begins with how much you appreciate; slightly more focus on your increased appreciation, with the reason added at the end.

Both are natural; the difference is mostly about emphasis and flow, not about grammar correctness.

Could I just say Zbog sitnica još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo instead of zbog malih stvari?

Yes, and that sounds very natural and idiomatic.

• sitnica (plural: sitnice) means a little thing, a small detail, a minor thing.
• zbog sitnica ≈ because of the little things / small gestures / little details.

So:

• Zbog malih stvari još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo.
• Zbog sitnica još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo.

Both work. Sitnice is often used when you mean small, often thoughtful gestures or details, which may even be closer to what you mean in English by “the little things” in a relationship or friendship.

Why is stvari plural? Can I say zbog male stvari?

Zbog malih stvari (plural) suggests many small things in general – all the little details, actions, or moments.

• zbog malih stvari = because of (the) small things (in general)

You can say:

• zbog male stvari – because of a small thing (singular)

But that would normally refer to one specific small thing. In the context of appreciating a friendship, plural (zbog malih stvari) sounds more natural, because usually we mean a collection of small acts or moments, not just one.

What is the nuance of zbog here compared to other similar prepositions like radi?

Both zbog and radi can mean because of, but there is a nuance:

• zbog is neutral, standard, very common:
  Zbog malih stvari još više cijenim naše prijateljstvo.

• radi can also mean for the sake of / due to, sometimes with a nuance of purpose or motivation and it can sound a bit more colloquial or context‑dependent:

  • Učim radi sebe. – I study for myself / for my own sake.

In this sentence, zbog malih stvari is the most natural and typical choice.
You could say radi malih stvari, but zbog is safer and more idiomatic here.

How do you pronounce cijenim and prijateljstvo?

Approximate English-based guidance:

• cijenim: TSYEH-neem

  • c is like ts in cats.
  • ije is usually pronounced as a long ye sound.
  • Stress is normally on the first syllable: CYE-nim.

• prijateljstvo: PREE-ya-tell-stvo

  • prija ≈ priya (with rolled or tapped r).
  • lj is a palatal l, similar to lli in million.
  • The cluster -ljstv- can be tricky; say it slowly: prija-telj-stvo.
  • Again, stress typically on the first syllable: PRI-ja-telj-stvo.

Precise stress can vary by dialect, but this will be well understood.