Learn Hardcore Croatian: Za mene je to normalna stvar.

The pronoun ja (I) in the accusative is mene (strong form) or me (weak/clitic form).
After a preposition like za, you must use the strong form, so it has to be za mene, not za ja and not za me.

So:

za ja – wrong case
za me – wrong pronoun form after a preposition
za mene – correct: za + accusative (strong pronoun)

What case is mene, and what does that tell me about the sentence?

Mene is accusative singular of ja (I), in its strong form.

In this sentence, it is used after the preposition za, which always takes the accusative. So:

za
- mene → for me (as in “from my point of view / in my opinion”).

Here za mene expresses a personal perspective:
Za mene = for me / as far as I’m concerned / in my view.

Why is the verb je placed after za mene and not somewhere else?

Je is a clitic (an unstressed short form of the verb biti – to be). In Croatian, clitics have fairly strict placement rules: they normally go into second position in the clause.

In Za mene je to normalna stvar:

Za mene is treated as the first chunk (a “prosodic word group”).
The clitic je then occupies the second position.
The rest of the clause follows: to normalna stvar.

Other word orders are possible, but the clitic still wants to be in that early “second” slot. For example:

To je za mene normalna stvar.
To je normalna stvar za mene.

In all of these, je remains near the beginning of the clause to satisfy clitic placement rules.

Can I say To je za mene normalna stvar instead? Is there a difference?

Yes, To je za mene normalna stvar is perfectly correct and common.

Nuances:

Za mene je to normalna stvar.
Fronts za mene, so you emphasize “for me / from my point of view” a bit more.
To je za mene normalna stvar.
More neutral; to (that/it) is the usual subject at the start, and za mene is added as a clarifying phrase.

In practice, both mean essentially the same: For me, that’s a normal thing, with only a slight difference in emphasis/order.

Why is it normalna stvar and not normalno stvar?

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

stvar (thing) is feminine, singular, nominative in this sentence.
The adjective normalan has to match that:
- masculine: normalan
- feminine: normalna
- neuter: normalno

Since stvar is feminine singular nominative, the correct form is:

normalna stvar = a normal thing

Normalno stvar is wrong because normalno is neuter, not feminine.

What form and case is normalna stvar here?

Normalna stvar is:

normalna – adjective, feminine singular nominative
stvar – noun, feminine singular nominative

Together they make a predicate noun phrase, describing what to (it/that) is:

To je normalna stvar. → That is a normal thing.

So normalna stvar is in the nominative, because it’s the complement of the verb je (is), matching the subject to.

Why not just say Za mene je to normalno? Is that different from normalna stvar?

You can say Za mene je to normalno. It’s very natural.

Difference:

Za mene je to normalno.
Literally: For me, that is normal.
Normalno is a neuter adjective used adverbially / predicatively, describing the state of the situation as “normal”.
Za mene je to normalna stvar.
Literally: For me, that is a normal thing.
This explicitly calls it a “thing” (stvar), slightly more concrete or colloquial, like saying “That’s nothing unusual, that’s just a normal thing (in my world).”

Often the choice is stylistic; the overall meaning is very close.

Can I drop to and just say Za mene je normalna stvar?

Normally, no—that sounds incomplete.

In Za mene je to normalna stvar, to is the subject (“that/it”). If you remove to, you end up with:

Za mene je normalna stvar. → “For me is a normal thing.”

This lacks a clear subject. You could theoretically interpret some wider context where the subject is strongly understood, but as a standalone sentence it’s not natural.

If you want to avoid to, you typically change the structure:

Za mene je to normalno. (keep to)
Meni je to normalno.
To je normalna stvar.
Takve stvari su za mene normalne. – “Such things are normal for me.”

Why is it to and not ovo or ono?

Croatian has several demonstratives:

to – “that/it” (neutral, often like English it/that in general statements)
ovo – “this” (near the speaker)
ono – “that over there / that (distant or more abstract)”

In Za mene je to normalna stvar, to is being used in a general / neutral way, similar to English that or it in:

For me, that’s a normal thing.
To je normalna stvar. – “That/It is a normal thing.”

You could say Ovo je za mene normalna stvar if you are pointing to something very immediate, but to is the standard neutral choice.

Is Za mene je to normalna stvar something people actually say, or is there a more natural version?

People do say it, and it’s natural.

However, two very common alternatives (often slightly more natural in everyday speech) are:

Meni je to normalno. – “To me, that’s normal.”
Meni je to normalna stvar. – “To me, that’s a normal thing.”

Differences:

za mene – literally “for me”, with a nuance of “in my view / in my case”.
meni – dative of ja, often used for “to me / for me” in the sense of personal feeling or opinion.

All are correct; choice depends on style and emphasis.

What’s the difference between za mene and meni in sentences like this?

Both can express a personal point of view, but:

za mene (for me)
Literally means “for me / as far as I’m concerned” and often sounds a bit more explicit or emphatic about your personal perspective.
meni (to me – dative of ja)
Very common in everyday speech for opinions, feelings, and judgments:
- Meni je to normalno. – “To me, that’s normal.”
- Meni je to čudno. – “To me, that’s strange.”

Both work, but meni often sounds slightly more colloquial and fluent, while za mene can feel a bit more marked or emphatic: “For me personally, that’s a normal thing.”