On odgovara na pitanje polako.

He answers the question slowly.

Breakdown of On odgovara na pitanje polako.

• on: he
• pitanje: question
• polako: slowly
• na: to
• odgovarati: to answer

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?

In On odgovara na pitanje polako, the word pitanje is in the accusative singular.

• The preposition na with a motion or target meaning normally governs the accusative (here: “answer to what?” → target = pitanje).
• pitanje is a neuter noun whose nominative and accusative singular look the same:
  
  • Nominative sg.: pitanje – “question” (subject)
  • Accusative sg.: pitanje – “question” (direct object / object of na)

You know it’s accusative here because it follows na in the expression odgovarati na + accusative.

Can I drop On and just say Odgovara na pitanje polako?

Yes. Subject pronouns are often omitted in Croatian because the verb ending already shows the person.

• On odgovara na pitanje polako.
• Odgovara na pitanje polako.

Both mean “He answers the question slowly.” You only keep On if you want to emphasize that it is he (and not someone else).

Where can I put polako in this sentence, and does the position change the meaning?

The basic meaning stays the same, but word order can slightly change emphasis. All of these are grammatical:

• On odgovara na pitanje polako.
• On polako odgovara na pitanje.
• Polako odgovara na pitanje.
• Na pitanje odgovara polako.

Nuances:

• On polako odgovara na pitanje. – light emphasis on how he answers (slowly).
• Polako odgovara na pitanje. – puts polako in a more prominent, sentence-opening position.
• Na pitanje odgovara polako. – starts by highlighting “as for the question,” then stresses that the manner is slow.

All are acceptable in normal speech. The original order is probably the most neutral.

What’s the difference between polako and sporo? Both mean “slowly”, right?

Both can mean “slowly,” but there are nuances:

• polako

  • Literally “slowly,” but often also “gently, calmly, take it easy.”
  • It can sound more neutral or softer.
  • On odgovara na pitanje polako. – “He answers the question slowly / calmly.”

• sporo

  • More directly “slowly” in the sense of low speed; can sound more negative or critical of the slowness.
  • On odgovara na pitanje sporo. – suggests he is too slow, maybe frustratingly so.

In many contexts you can swap them, but sporo is more likely when you want to criticize someone for being slow.

How is odgovara conjugated, and what are the other present tense forms of odgovarati?

Odgovara is 3rd person singular of odgovarati in the present tense. Full present conjugation:

• ja odgovaram – I answer
• ti odgovaraš – you (sg., informal) answer
• on/ona/ono odgovara – he/she/it answers
• mi odgovaramo – we answer
• vi odgovarate – you (pl. or polite) answer
• oni/one/ona odgovaraju – they answer

So in On odgovara na pitanje polako, odgovara agrees with on (he).

What’s the difference between odgovarati na pitanje and odgovoriti na pitanje?

This is about aspect (imperfective vs perfective):

• odgovarati na pitanje (imperfective)

  • Focus on the process / repeated action:
  • On odgovara na pitanje. – He is in the process of answering / he typically answers questions.

• odgovoriti na pitanje (perfective)

  • Focus on the completed act of answering:
  • On je odgovorio na pitanje. – He answered the question (the answer is complete).

Use odgovarati in the present for an ongoing or habitual action. To say “He answered the question” about a completed event, use odgovoriti (past: je odgovorio).

Can odgovarati also use a dative object instead of na + accusative?

Yes, odgovarati can be used in two common patterns:

1. odgovarati na + accusative = to answer something

   • On odgovara na pitanje. – He answers the question.

2. odgovarati + dative = to suit / be suitable / be convenient to someone

   • Ovaj termin mi odgovara. – This time suits me.
   • Ta hrana mu ne odgovara. – That food doesn’t agree with him / doesn’t suit him.

So On odgovara na pitanje polako is clearly the first pattern (“answering”), not the “suit” meaning.

Is word order flexible in Croatian like in this sentence, or is there a fixed order like in English?

Croatian word order is more flexible than English because case endings show grammatical roles. The neutral pattern is often Subject – Verb – Object – (other elements), but you can rearrange for emphasis, topic, or style.

For this sentence, all of these could be used depending on what you want to highlight:

• On odgovara na pitanje polako. – neutral.
• On polako odgovara na pitanje. – mild emphasis on “slowly.”
• Na pitanje on odgovara polako. – first focus on the question, then how he answers it.
• Polako on odgovara na pitanje. – quite strong emphasis on polako, stylistically marked.

Unlike English, changing word order often changes focus, not basic meaning.

How do I say “He answered the question” or “He will answer the question” based on this pattern?

Use the perfective verb odgovoriti for a completed answer:

• He answered the question.
  
  • On je odgovorio na pitanje.

Use odgovoriti in the future as well:

• He will answer the question.
  
  • On će odgovoriti na pitanje.

If you want a habitual or ongoing meaning in the future, you might still use odgovarati with a future auxiliary, but for a single, complete act, odgovoriti is preferred.

How do I pronounce On odgovara na pitanje polako? Any tricky sounds?

Pronunciation (approximate English-like breakdown):

• On – like “awn” but shorter; o as in “off.”
• odgovara – od-go-VA-ra
  
  • dg in odg is pronounced together, like d followed quickly by g.
  • Stress is on va: od-go-VA-ra.
• na – like “nah”; short.
• pitanje – PEE-ta-nye
  
  • pi like “pee”
  • ta like “tah”
  • nje is a single sound ɲe, like ny in “canyon.”
• polako – po-LA-ko
  
  • Stress on la: po-LA-ko.

Croatian has clear, short vowels and is generally pronounced as it’s written, one sound per letter (with nj = one palatal sound).