Questions & Answers about On odgovara na pitanje polako.
What does odgovara mean exactly, and what is its dictionary form?
Odgovara means “(he) answers / (he) is answering / (he) responds”.
- The dictionary form (infinitive) is odgovarati – an imperfective verb.
- On odgovara = “He answers / He is answering.” Croatian does not distinguish between simple present and present continuous like English does; context decides.
Why do we say odgovara na pitanje and not just odgovara pitanje?
In Croatian, the verb odgovarati normally takes the preposition na plus object in the accusative when it means “to answer something”:
- odgovarati na pitanje = “to answer a question”
- odgovarati na e‑mail = “to answer an email”
You cannot say ✗ odgovarati pitanje in this meaning. The preposition na is required in this construction.
What case is pitanje in here, and how can I tell?