On se želi prijaviti na besplatan tečaj hrvatskog jezika.

He wants to register for a free Croatian language course.

Breakdown of On se želi prijaviti na besplatan tečaj hrvatskog jezika.

• on: he
• na: for
• hrvatski: Croatian
• željeti: to want
• tečaj: course
• jezik: language
• besplatan: free
• prijaviti se: to register

Questions & Answers about On se želi prijaviti na besplatan tečaj hrvatskog jezika.

What does se mean here, and why do we need it?

Se is a reflexive pronoun, but in this sentence it’s best thought of as part of the verb prijaviti se – to apply / to sign up (oneself).

• prijaviti nekoga = to report someone, to register someone else
• prijaviti se = to apply, to sign up (yourself)

So On se želi prijaviti literally means He wants to apply himself, which in natural English is just He wants to apply.
Without se, the meaning of the verb would change.

Why is the verb prijaviti in the infinitive form after želi?

In Croatian, verbs that express desire, intention, possibility, etc. (like željети – to want, morati – must, moći – can) are typically followed by an infinitive, just like want to do in English.

• On želi prijaviti se… / On se želi prijaviti… = He wants to apply…

So želi prijaviti is the normal structure: 3rd person singular of “want” + infinitive.

Why is the pronoun on used — could we just say Želi se prijaviti na besplatan tečaj hrvatskog jezika?

Yes, you can absolutely drop on. Croatian is a “pro‑drop” language: the verb ending -i in želi already shows it’s he (3rd person singular).

• On se želi prijaviti… = He wants to apply… (more explicit, maybe a bit more emphatic)
• Želi se prijaviti… = (He) wants to apply… (perfectly natural in context)

You only need on when you want to emphasize he (as opposed to someone else), or when the subject might be unclear from context.

Can se go in a different position, for example On želi se prijaviti…?

No, that word order is wrong in standard Croatian. Se is a clitic and normally comes right after the first stressed word in the clause.

Correct options in this sentence include:

• On se želi prijaviti na…
• Želi se prijaviti na…
• On se želi odmah prijaviti na… (after the first stressed element On se, adverb odmah, then the rest)

But On želi se prijaviti… is not acceptable in standard language. The clitic se must come earlier: On se želi prijaviti….

Why is it prijaviti se na tečaj, not just prijaviti se tečaj?

The verb in this meaning requires the preposition na:

• prijaviti se na tečaj / ispit / natječaj = to apply for a course / exam / competition

Without the preposition, prijaviti tečaj would be ungrammatical or would sound like a different meaning of prijaviti (to report something), which you don’t want here.

So the basic pattern you should remember is:
prijaviti se na + Accusative (what you’re signing up for).

Why is it na besplatan tečaj, not na besplatnom tečaju?

This is about movement vs location and the case after na:

• na + Accusative → movement towards something (onto/into)

  • ići na tečaj – to go to a course
  • prijaviti se na tečaj – to sign up for a course

• na + Locative → being on/at a place

  • biti na tečaju – to be at a course

In your sentence, he is applying to a course (movement towards participation), so na besplatan tečaj (Accusative) is correct, not na besplatnom tečaju.

Why is it besplatan tečaj, not besplatni tečaj?

Both besplatan tečaj and besplatni tečaj are grammatically possible in Croatian, but besplatan tečaj is the more neutral, everyday form.

• besplatan = basic (indefinite) adjective form, very common in modern usage
• besplatni = the “long” (definite) form of the adjective; it can sound a bit more formal or stylistically marked, and is also common in some dialects and older usage

In normal, neutral speech and writing, besplatan tečaj is what you’re most likely to hear.

What case is hrvatskog jezika, and why is it used here?

Hrvatskog jezika is in the genitive singular:

• hrvatski jezik (Nominative) = Croatian language (as a subject)
• hrvatskog jezika (Genitive) = of the Croatian language

The noun tečaj (course) here is being specified by another noun in the genitive:

• tečaj čega? – a course of what? → hrvatskog jezika

So besplatan tečaj hrvatskog jezika literally means a free course of the Croatian language.

Why not just say besplatan tečaj hrvatski jezik or besplatan hrvatski jezik tečaj?

Croatian has a fairly strict and natural word order inside noun phrases:

1. Adjective(s)
2. Head noun
3. Genitive complement (if any)

So the normal pattern is:

• besplatan (adjective)
• tečaj (head noun)
• hrvatskog jezika (genitive: course of Croatian language)

Forms like besplatan tečaj hrvatski jezik or besplatan hrvatski jezik tečaj break this pattern and sound ungrammatical or at least very unnatural.

Is there a difference between tečaj hrvatskog jezika and tečaj hrvatski jezik?

Yes.

• tečaj hrvatskog jezika is correct: tečaj čega? → hrvatskog jezika (genitive)
• tečaj hrvatski jezik is wrong: you have one noun in nominative (jezik) and one adjective (hrvatski) just stuck after tečaj with no proper relationship.

To express course of X, Croatian almost always uses Genitive:
tečaj engleskog jezika, tečaj informatike, tečaj plesa, etc.

What is the aspect of prijaviti se, and is there an imperfective version?

Prijaviti se is perfective: it focuses on the single, completed action of applying/signing up.

There is an imperfective counterpart:

• prijavljivati se = to be (in the process of) applying, to apply repeatedly or habitually

Compare:

• On se želi prijaviti na tečaj. – He wants to (successfully) apply once.
• On se često prijavljuje na besplatne tečajeve. – He often applies to free courses.