Mikrofon je preglasan ako šapćemo preblizu laptopu.

The microphone is too loud if we whisper too close to the laptop.

Breakdown of Mikrofon je preglasan ako šapćemo preblizu laptopu.

• biti: to be
• ako: if
• laptop: laptop
• preglasan: too loud
• šapćati: to whisper
• mikrofon: microphone
• preblizu: too close

Questions & Answers about Mikrofon je preglasan ako šapćemo preblizu laptopu.

Why do we need je in Mikrofon je preglasan? Could we just say Mikrofon preglasan?

In Croatian you normally need the verb biti (to be) as a linking verb between the subject and an adjective:

• Mikrofon je preglasan. = The microphone is too loud.

The form je is 3rd person singular, present tense of biti.

Saying Mikrofon preglasan without je is not standard in normal sentences. You might see adjectives without je in:

• headlines or notes: Mikrofon preglasan! (like a short warning)
• very informal, telegraphic style

But as a full, neutral sentence, you should include je.

Why is it preglasan and not preglasno?

Preglasan is an adjective that agrees with mikrofon in gender, number, and case:

• mikrofon – masculine, singular, nominative
• preglasan – masculine, singular, nominative form of the adjective

So:

• Mikrofon je preglasan. = The microphone is too loud.

Preglasno is the neuter / adverbial form. You would use preglasno when there is no noun to agree with, or when you’re describing how something is done:

• Mikrofon je preglasno podešen. – The microphone is set too loud. (here it describes how it is set)
• Pričaš preglasno. – You speak too loudly. (adverb; describes the verb pričaš)

What exactly does ako mean here? How is it different from kad or kada?

In this sentence, ako means if (a condition):

• Mikrofon je preglasan ako šapćemo preblizu laptopu.
• The microphone is too loud if we whisper too close to the laptop.

Kad / kada normally means when (time), but in everyday speech it can sometimes overlap with ako and also sound like if.

Typical tendencies:

• ako – a real condition:
  Ako šapćemo preblizu laptopu, mikrofon je preglasan. – If we whisper too close…
• kad / kada – more temporal / repeated:
  Kad šapćemo preblizu laptopu, mikrofon je preglasan. – Whenever we whisper too close…

Both are possible here, but ako makes it feel more explicitly conditional.

What is šapćemo exactly? Which verb is that and which form?

Šapćemo is:

• present tense
• 1st person plural (we)
• of the verb šaptati – to whisper

Full present conjugation:

• ja šapćem – I whisper
• ti šapćeš – you whisper (sg.)
• on/ona/ono šapće – he/she/it whispers
• mi šapćemo – we whisper
• vi šapćete – you whisper (pl./formal)
• oni/one/ona šapću – they whisper

So šapćemo literally means we whisper.

Why is there no mi (we) in the sentence? How do I know šapćemo means we?

In Croatian, the personal ending on the verb usually shows the subject, so subject pronouns (like ja, ti, mi, vi) are often dropped:

• Šapćemo. – We are whispering. (the ending -emo tells you it’s we)
• Šapćem. – I whisper.
• Šapću. – They whisper.

You only usually add mi for emphasis or contrast:

• Mi šapćemo, a oni viču. – We whisper, and they shout.

In this sentence, mi is understood from šapćemo, so it is left out.

What does preblizu mean? How is it related to blizu?

• blizu = close / near
• pre- is a common prefix that often means too / overly / excessively

So:

• preblizu = too close

Examples:

• Stojiš preblizu mikrofona. – You’re standing too close to the microphone.
• Auto je preblizu zidu. – The car is too close to the wall.

In your sentence:

• šapćemo preblizu laptopu – we whisper too close to the laptop

Why is it laptopu and not just laptop? What case is that?

Laptopu is the dative singular form of laptop.

The adverb (pre)blizu used in this way usually goes with the dative when it means too close to something in a more physical/spatial sense:

• preblizu laptopu – too close to the laptop
• preblizu vatri – too close to the fire
• preblizu zidu – too close to the wall

So:

• nominative: laptop (subject form)
• dative: laptopu (used after preblizu here)

That’s why the ending -u appears: it marks the dative case.

I thought blizu takes the genitive (e.g. blizu kuće). Why is it preblizu laptopu, not preblizu laptopa?

Good observation: blizu can function in two slightly different ways:

1. As a preposition

   • genitive:
   • blizu kuće – near the house
   • blizu laptopa – near the laptop

2. As an adverb (often intensified with pre-) + dative, expressing too close (to) in a more spatial / directional sense:

   • preblizu laptopu – too close to the laptop
   • sjedi preblizu televizoru – sit too close to the TV

In practice, native speakers often say preblizu + dative in sentences like yours.
Preblizu laptopa is not impossible, but preblizu laptopu is more idiomatic when you mean sitting/standing/being too close to something.

Can I change the word order to Ako šapćemo preblizu laptopu, mikrofon je preglasan? Is there any difference?

Yes, that word order is completely correct:

• Ako šapćemo preblizu laptopu, mikrofon je preglasan.

Both versions are grammatical:

1. Mikrofon je preglasan ako šapćemo preblizu laptopu.
2. Ako šapćemo preblizu laptopu, mikrofon je preglasan.

Difference is mostly in rhythm and slight emphasis:

• Version 1 starts with the result (the microphone is too loud).
• Version 2 starts with the condition (if we whisper too close…), which is very typical in conditional sentences, similar to English.

Why is there no word for the before mikrofon or laptopu?

Croatian has no articles like the or a/an in English.

• mikrofon can mean a microphone or the microphone depending on context.
• laptopu can mean a laptop or the laptop.

So:

• Mikrofon je preglasan ako šapćemo preblizu laptopu.
  • can be understood as: The microphone is too loud if we whisper too close to the laptop.

Context usually makes it clear whether you mean a or the.

Why is it preglasan and not preglasna or preglasno? How does gender agreement work here?

The adjective must agree with the gender and number of the noun it describes.

• mikrofon – masculine singular
  → preglasan

If the noun were feminine:

• kamera je preglasna. – The camera is too loud. (imagine a noisy camera, e.g. a fan)
  (kamera – feminine singular → preglasna)

If the noun were neuter:

• računalo je preglasno. – The computer is too loud.
  (računalo – neuter singular → preglasno)

So:

• masculine: preglasan mikrofon
• feminine: preglasna kamera
• neuter: preglasno računalo

Could I say Mikrofon bude preglasan ako šapćemo preblizu laptopu or Mikrofon bi bio preglasan ako…?

These forms are possible but they change the nuance:

1. Mikrofon je preglasan ako…
   – neutral, general fact: is too loud if…

2. Mikrofon bude preglasan ako…
   – bude (future/volitional form of to be) sounds more like:

   • the microphone tends to get too loud if…
   • or will be too loud if… in some contexts
     It’s less common in simple general statements like this.

3. Mikrofon bi bio preglasan ako…
   – bi bio = conditional: would be too loud if…
   You’d use this if the situation is hypothetical, not a normal repeated fact.

For a simple, general rule like in your sentence, je is the most natural choice.

How do I pronounce šapćemo and preblizu? Any tips for an English speaker?

Šapćemo: SHAHP-cheh-moh

• š = like sh in ship
• ć = a soft ch sound, between English ch and t-y in got you
  (so softer than č, which is more like a hard English ch)
• stress is usually on the first syllable: ŠA-pćemo

preblizu: PREH-blee-zoo

• e as in bet (short)
• i as in machine (long ee sound)
• z always like z in zoo
• stress typically on the first syllable: PRE-blizu

So the whole sentence roughly:
MÍ-kro-fon je PRÉ-gla-san a-ko ŠÁP-će-mo PRÉ-bli-zu LÁP-to-pu.