Questions & Answers about Postoji rješenje za ovaj problem.
What exactly does postoji mean here, and how is it different from ima?
Postoji literally means “exists”. So Postoji rješenje za ovaj problem is very close to “A solution exists for this problem.”
In everyday speech, Croatians also often use ima (“there is/are”):
- Ima rješenje za ovaj problem.
Differences:
- postoji – a bit more formal, neutral, and precise; focuses on existence.
- ima – more colloquial and very common in spoken language; literally “has”, but used as “there is/are”.
Both are acceptable in most everyday contexts, but in writing or more formal speech, postoji often sounds better.
Can I change the word order and say Rješenje za ovaj problem postoji?
Yes. Rješenje za ovaj problem postoji is also correct.
Meaning is the same, but the emphasis changes slightly:
- Postoji rješenje za ovaj problem. – neutral, or emphasis on the fact that there exists a solution.
- Rješenje za ovaj problem postoji. – can emphasize the solution (e.g. in contrast to some other problem where there is no solution).
Croatian word order is fairly flexible; both sentences are natural.
What form of the noun is rješenje, and why is it like that?