Ovaj plan je složen, pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava.

This plan is complex, so the teacher explains it slowly.

Breakdown of Ovaj plan je složen, pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava.

• biti: to be
• učiteljica: teacher
• polako: slowly
• plan: plan
• pa: so
• ovaj: this
• ga: it
• objašnjavati: to explain
• složen: complex

Questions & Answers about Ovaj plan je složen, pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava.

Why is it ovaj plan je složen and not ovaj plan je složeno?

In Croatian, adjectives must agree in gender, number and case with the noun they describe.

• plan is:
  • masculine
  • singular
  • nominative

So the adjective must also be masculine singular nominative, which is složen.

složen (masc. sg. nom.)
složena (fem. sg. nom.)
složeno (neuter sg. nom.)

You would use složeno with a neuter noun, for example:

• Ovo je rješenje složeno. – This solution is complicated.
  (rješenje is neuter.)

With plan (masculine), the correct form is složen.

What exactly does ovaj mean here, and why not taj?

Both ovaj and taj translate as this/that, but they have different typical uses.

• ovaj = this (near the speaker; something just mentioned, being focused on)
• taj = that (often something known from context or previously mentioned, slightly less “immediate”)

In this sentence:

• Ovaj plan je složen… – This plan is complex…

You are pointing to or highlighting a specific plan (maybe one you’re currently looking at or just introduced).

You could say Taj plan je složen if both speaker and listener already know which plan is being talked about and it’s more like that plan instead of this plan, but ovaj is very natural when you introduce something you’re about to talk about in detail.

What is the function of pa here, and how is it different from i, jer, or zato?

In this sentence, pa means roughly so, and so, or therefore:

• Ovaj plan je složen, pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava.
  This plan is complex, so the teacher is explaining it slowly.

Some comparisons:

• i = and
  Just adds information, without a strong cause–effect idea:

  • Ovaj plan je složen i učiteljica ga objašnjava.
    This plan is complex and the teacher explains it.
    (No clear “because of that” feeling.)

• jer = because
  Introduces the reason explicitly:

  • Učiteljica ga polako objašnjava, jer je plan složen.
    The teacher explains it slowly because the plan is complex.

• zato / zato što = therefore / because

  • Plan je složen, zato ga učiteljica polako objašnjava.
    The plan is complex, therefore the teacher explains it slowly.
  • Učiteljica ga polako objašnjava zato što je plan složen.
    The teacher explains it slowly because the plan is complex.

pa is common in spoken and written Croatian as a mild connector indicating consequence or continuation; it’s slightly less formal than zato but very natural.

What does ga refer to, and why is it ga and not njega or je?

ga is a clitic object pronoun meaning him/it in the accusative masculine singular.

In this sentence, ga refers back to plan:

• Ovaj plan je složen, pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava.
  This plan is complex, so the teacher is slowly explaining it.

Why ga?

• plan is masculine singular.
• As a direct object (what is being explained), it must be in accusative.
• The short unstressed pronoun for masc. sg. accusative is ga.

About alternatives:

• njega is a stressed form (also “him/it”), used for emphasis or when the pronoun stands alone:

  • Učiteljica objašnjava njega, a ne drugi plan.
    The teacher is explaining it/him, not the other plan.

• je is accusative for her/it when referring to a feminine noun:

  • Ova lekcija je složena, pa je učiteljica polako objašnjava.
    This lesson is complex, so the teacher is slowly explaining it.
    (lekcija is feminine, so je.)

So ga is used because plan is masculine and is the direct object in the second clause.

Why does ga come right after pa and before učiteljica? Could we say pa učiteljica ga polako objašnjava?

Croatian has a group of short, unstressed words called clitics (pronouns like ga, je, mi, forms of biti like sam, si, etc.). These usually stand in second position in the clause.

In pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava:

• pa = first element in the clause
• ga = clitic, so it moves to the second position
• učiteljica polako objašnjava = rest of the clause

So the usual neutral order is:

• pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava

You can say pa učiteljica ga polako objašnjava, but it sounds less neutral and may shift focus slightly (more emphasis on učiteljica as the subject). The standard, most natural version in everyday speech and writing is to put ga as early as possible, in that second position.

Why is it učiteljica, and what is the difference between učitelj and učiteljica?

učiteljica is the feminine form of učitelj.

• učitelj = (male) teacher
• učiteljica = (female) teacher

The ending -ica often marks a feminine noun in Croatian.

In this sentence:

• učiteljica tells us the teacher is female.

If the teacher were male, you would say:

• Ovaj plan je složen, pa ga učitelj polako objašnjava.

Why is the verb objašnjava and not objasni or je objasnila?

Croatian verbs have aspect: imperfective vs. perfective.

• objašnjavati = to explain (imperfective)
  Focus on the process, continuity, or repetition.

  • objašnjava = (she) explains / is explaining

• objasniti = to explain (perfective)
  Focus on the completed action or the result.

  • objasni = (she) explains / will explain (as a single, completed event)
  • je objasnila = she explained / has explained

In the sentence:

• … pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava.

The idea is of an ongoing process: she is taking time, explaining it slowly, not a single finished event. That’s why the imperfective form objašnjava is used.

If you wanted to talk about the completion, you might say:

• Plan je bio složen, ali ga je učiteljica polako objasnila.
  The plan was complex, but the teacher explained it slowly (and finished).

Can polako be placed somewhere else in the sentence, and would that change the meaning?

Yes, polako (slowly) is an adverb and can move around, with slight changes in emphasis, but not in basic meaning.

Original:

• … pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava.
  so the teacher slowly explains it.

Other possible orders:

1. … pa ga učiteljica objašnjava polako.
   Slightly more emphasis at the end on polako (the slowness).

2. … pa učiteljica ga polako objašnjava.
   Emphasis somewhat more on učiteljica; clitic position is less neutral.

3. … pa ga polako objašnjava učiteljica.
   Emphasis on učiteljica at the end; sounds more like you contrast her with someone else.

All of these are understandable, but the original pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava is very neutral and natural: subject in the middle, adverb right before the verb.

What is the difference between Ovaj plan je složen and Ovaj je plan složen?

Both are grammatical and mean basically the same: This plan is complex.

• Ovaj plan je složen.
  Most common, straightforward order: demonstrative + noun + verb + adjective.

• Ovaj je plan složen.
  Still natural, often adds a bit more emphasis on ovaj (this one in particular), sometimes used in contrast:

  • Ovaj je plan složen, ali onaj je jednostavan.
    This plan is complex, but that one is simple.

So Ovaj je plan složen can sound a bit more contrastive or focused on this specific plan.

Why is there a comma before pa?

In Croatian, you normally put a comma before pa when it connects two independent clauses (two complete sentences):

• Ovaj plan je složen,
  independent clause (has subject plan and verb je)

• [pa] ga učiteljica polako objašnjava.
  another clause (has subject učiteljica and verb objašnjava)

Since both parts are full clauses, a comma is standard:

• Ovaj plan je složen, pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava.

If pa is just linking parts inside a single clause (for example, linking two verbs with the same subject), you might not use a comma, but in this sentence pa clearly introduces a second clause with its own verb and subject.

Why do we use a pronoun (ga) in the second clause instead of repeating plan?

You could repeat the noun:

• Ovaj plan je složen, pa učiteljica polako objašnjava plan.

This is grammatically correct, but in natural Croatian, it sounds more normal to avoid repetition and use a pronoun when the reference is clear:

• … pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava.

This is very typical: mention the noun once, then refer back to it with a clitic pronoun in the next clause or sentence. It is both more natural and more concise.

What case is plan in, and what case is ga in?

• plan in Ovaj plan je složen is in nominative singular:

  • It is the subject of the verb je (is).
  • Nominative is the dictionary form.

• ga in pa ga učiteljica polako objašnjava is in accusative singular:

  • It is the direct object of objašnjava (what is being explained = him/it).
  • As a masculine singular object pronoun, its short accusative form is ga.

So:

• plan – subject → nominative
• ga (referring to plan) – object → accusative