Televizor je star, ali dobar.

The television is old but good.

Breakdown of Televizor je star, ali dobar.

• biti: to be
• dobar: good
• star: old
• ali: but
• televizor: TV

Questions & Answers about Televizor je star, ali dobar.

What does je mean in this sentence, and why do we need it?

Je is the third‑person singular form of the verb biti (to be) in the present tense. It corresponds to English is.

So:

• Televizor je star = The television is old
• Televizor je dobar = The television is good

Croatian normally must use je in sentences like this. Unlike English, you generally cannot drop je in normal speech:

• ✅ Televizor je star.
• ❌ Televizor star. (only okay in headlines, notes, or very telegraphic style)

Why is there a comma before ali? In English, we don’t always put a comma before but.

In Croatian, a comma is always used before ali (but) when it connects two clauses or two parts of a sentence:

• Televizor je star, ali dobar.

This is a standard rule and is much stricter than English punctuation. Even though ali dobar is short, the comma still stays.

By contrast, in English:

• The TV is old but good. (comma usually omitted)
• The TV is old, but it’s good. (comma more common)

In Croatian, both types of coordination take a comma:

• Televizor je star, ali dobar.
• Televizor je star, ali je dobar.

Why do star and dobar end in -ar? How do they agree with televizor?

Televizor is a masculine singular noun in the nominative case.

Adjectives in Croatian must agree with the noun in:

• gender (masculine / feminine / neuter)
• number (singular / plural)
• case

So both adjectives take the masculine singular nominative form:

• star (old) – masculine singular nominative
• dobar (good) – masculine singular nominative
• televizor – masculine singular nominative

If the noun changed, the adjectives would change too:

• stara televizija (televizija is feminine)
• dobro računalo (računalo is neuter)
• stari televizori (plural: televizori → stari, dobri)

Why isn’t there a word for the in Televizor je star, ali dobar?

Croatian has no articles (no a/an or the). The bare noun televizor can mean a television or the television, depending on context.

So Televizor je star, ali dobar can be translated as:

• The television is old but good.
• A television is old but good. (less likely, but grammatically possible)

Context, word order, and previous conversation tell you whether it is specific (the) or not. The language does not mark it with a separate word.

Why is it televizor and not televizija? What’s the difference?

These are two different nouns:

• televizor = the device, the TV set
• televizija = television as a medium / service / station
  (like television in I don’t watch much television or on television tonight)

In this sentence you are describing the device (it can be old or in good condition), so televizor is the correct word:

• Televizor je star, ali dobar.
  The TV set is old, but (it’s) good.

If you said:

• Televizija je dobra.
  you would be talking about a TV channel or TV as a medium, not the physical device.

Can I change the word order? For example, can I say Televizor je dobar, ali star?

Yes, you can change the order of the adjectives, and you can also move adjectives to the front for emphasis. The core grammar stays the same, but the focus can shift.

Examples:

• Televizor je star, ali dobar.
  Neutral: it’s old, but (still) good.

• Televizor je dobar, ali star.
  Slightly different nuance: stressing that it’s good, while adding as a downside that it’s old.

• Star je televizor, ali dobar.
  Fronting star gives it emphasis: Old it is, but good.

All of these are grammatical. Croatian word order is relatively flexible, but neutral, everyday order here is Televizor je star, ali dobar.

How would I make this sentence plural: The televisions are old, but good?

You must change both the noun and the adjectives to plural, and the verb to plural as well:

• Singular:
  Televizor je star, ali dobar.

• Plural:
  Televizori su stari, ali dobri.

Changes:

• televizor → televizori (masculine plural nominative)
• je → su (3rd person plural of biti)
• star → stari, dobar → dobri (masculine plural nominative adjectives)

How would I say The TV is not old but (rather) good? Do I still use ali?

In Croatian, when the first part is negated and you contrast it with a positive correction, you normally use nego, not ali:

• Televizor nije star, nego dobar.
  The TV is not old, but (rather) good.

Compare:

• Televizor je star, ali dobar.
  Old, but still good. (both are true)

• Televizor nije star, nego dobar.
  He is not old; instead, the correct statement is good.

Can I omit je like in some other Slavic languages, and just say Televizor star, ali dobar?

In normal spoken and written Croatian, you do not omit je in sentences like this. You should say:

• ✅ Televizor je star, ali dobar.

However, in certain styles (headlines, notes, labels, telegram style), you may see je omitted:

• Televizor star, ali dobar. (headline style)

This is not how you would usually talk in a conversation. For standard usage as a learner, always include je.

How do you pronounce televizor je star, ali dobar? Any tricky sounds for English speakers?

Rough guide with English-like hints (stressed syllables in caps):

• televizor → te-le-VI-zor

  • e like e in get
  • i like ee in see
  • r is rolled or tapped

• je → ye (like ye in yes, but shorter)

• star → star (like star, but with a tapped/rolled r, and a shorter a, like u in cut but a bit more open)

• ali → A-li

  • a like a in father
  • li like lee

• dobar → DO-bar

  • o as in not (but shorter and pure)
  • final r tapped/rolled

There are no silent letters; every letter is pronounced.