Learn Hardcore Croatian: Gramatika se čini teška, ali korak po korak postaje jasnija. - Grammar seems hard, but step by step it becomes clearer.

činiti by itself means “to do / to make”.
- Ona čini čuda. = She does miracles.
When you add se, it becomes a reflexive verb činiti se = “to seem, to appear.”

So:

Gramatika se čini teška.
= Grammar seems difficult.
(literally: Grammar seems difficult to itself → grammar appears as difficult.)

If you omit se, the meaning changes:

Gramatika čini učenje teškim.
= Grammar makes learning difficult.

So in this sentence you need se to get the meaning “seems/appears,” not “makes/does.”

Why is there no je (is) in Gramatika se čini teška?

Croatian does not use biti (to be) here because činiti se already functions like a linking verb, similar to English “to seem”.

Compare:

Gramatika je teška. = Grammar is difficult.
Gramatika se čini teška. = Grammar seems difficult.

You wouldn’t say in English “Grammar seems is difficult”; similarly, in Croatian you don’t say:

✗ Gramatika se čini je teška.

So the pattern is:

[subject] + se čini + [adjective]
Gramatika se čini teška. = Grammar seems difficult.

Why does teška end in -a? Could I say teško instead?

Teška is an adjective that must agree with gramatika in:

gender: feminine
number: singular
case: nominative (as a complement of the subject)

gramatika is a feminine noun, so the adjective also takes the feminine nominative singular form:

teška (fem. nom. sg.)
→ Gramatika se čini teška.

Teško would be the neuter or adverb form and would not agree with gramatika (feminine). So:

✗ Gramatika se čini teško.
sounds wrong in this meaning (Grammar seems difficult).

You want the adjective that matches the subject:

Gramatika je teška.
Gramatika se čini teška.
Gramatika postaje jasnija.

What is the difference between čini se and čini se da je?

Both are common, but the structure is a bit different.

Personal construction with an adjective
- Gramatika se čini teška.
  Grammar seems difficult.
Here gramatika is the subject, and teška is the adjective that describes it.
Impersonal construction with a clause introduced by da
- Čini se da je gramatika teška.
  It seems that grammar is difficult.
This is like English “It seems that …”:
- čini se is impersonal (“it seems”),
- da je gramatika teška is a subordinate clause (“that grammar is difficult”).

Both are correct and natural. The sentence you’re learning uses the personal pattern:

[Subject] + se čini + [adjective]

Can I change the word order, for example to Čini se da je gramatika teška, ali postaje jasnija korak po korak?

Yes, Croatian word order is fairly flexible, especially for emphasis and rhythm. These are all acceptable, with slightly different style/emphasis:

Gramatika se čini teška, ali korak po korak postaje jasnija.
Čini se da je gramatika teška, ali korak po korak postaje jasnija.
Gramatika se čini teška, ali postaje jasnija korak po korak.

The key restrictions to remember:

The clitic se must stay in the “second position” of the clause (after the first stressed word or phrase).
- Gramatika se čini… ✓
- Čini se da… ✓
- ✗ Se gramatika čini… (wrong)

So you can move other parts around moderately, but keep se in its clitic position.

What does korak po korak literally mean, and what is its function in the sentence?

Literally, korak po korak means “step by step”.

korak = step
po = by / per / after (here in an idiomatic, repetitive sense)
korak po korak = step after step, step by step

Functionally, it’s an adverbial phrase of manner: it describes how grammar becomes clearer – gradually, little by little.

So:

… ali korak po korak postaje jasnija.
= … but step by step it becomes clearer.

Grammatically, korak here appears twice in the same form (accusative singular), and in this idiomatic pattern X po X, the repetition expresses the gradual, repeated process:

dan po dan = day by day
sat po sat = hour by hour
korak po korak = step by step

Which tense and aspect is postaje, and why use this form instead of a simple je jasnija?

Postaje is:

present tense
3rd person singular
of the verb postajati = “to become” (imperfective aspect).

So postaje jasnija = “is becoming clearer / becomes clearer”.

Why postaje, not just je?

je jasna = is clear (a state)
postaje jasnija = is becoming clearer (a gradual change)

The sentence contrasts:

initial state: Gramatika se čini teška (it seems difficult now)
ongoing change: postaje jasnija (it is gradually becoming clearer)

So postaje emphasizes process / development over time, which fits the idea of „korak po korak”.

Why is it jasnija and not just jasna?

Jasna is the basic adjective: “clear” (feminine form).
Jasnija is its comparative form: “clearer”.

jasan (m), jasna (f), jasno (n) = clear
jasniji (m), jasnija (f), jasnije (n) = clearer

In the sentence:

jasnija is feminine singular nominative, agreeing with gramatika (also feminine singular).
postaje jasnija = becomes clearer (than before).

If you said:

postaje jasna = “is becoming clear” (no comparison, just reaching the state of clarity)
postaje jasnija = “is becoming clearer” (each step it gets more clear)

The comparative jasnija matches the idea of progress step by step.

Why is there a comma before ali, and what does ali mean exactly?

Ali means “but”.

In Croatian, you normally put a comma before coordinating conjunctions like ali when they connect two clauses:

Gramatika se čini teška, ali korak po korak postaje jasnija.
= Grammar seems difficult, but step by step it becomes clearer.

So the comma rule is similar to English:

…, but …
…, ali …

Other possible contrastive conjunctions are:

no = but, yet (a bit more formal/literary)
međutim = however (often starts a new sentence or is set off by commas)

Could I say Gramatika izgleda teška instead of Gramatika se čini teška?

Yes, you can, and it’s natural. There is a small nuance:

izgleda (from izgledati) = “looks / appears (visually)”
- Gramatika izgleda teška.
  = Grammar looks difficult (gives that impression, maybe from seeing a textbook).
se čini (from činiti se) = “seems / appears” (more general, not just visually)
- Gramatika se čini teška.
  = Grammar seems difficult (based on experience, feeling, or general impression).

In everyday speech they often overlap, and both versions are fine for learners:

Gramatika izgleda teška, ali korak po korak postaje jasnija.
Gramatika se čini teška, ali korak po korak postaje jasnija.