Learn Hardcore Croatian: Ovo je moj omiljeni park u gradu. - This is my favorite park in the city.

Ovo je moj omiljeni park u gradu.

This is my favorite park in the city.

Breakdown of Ovo je moj omiljeni park u gradu.

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Questions & Answers about Ovo je moj omiljeni park u gradu.

What does Ovo je literally mean, and is it just This is?

Literally, Ovo je means This is.

Ovo = this (neuter, used for things that are close to the speaker)
je = is (3rd person singular of biti – to be)

So Ovo je moj omiljeni park u gradu. = This is my favorite park in the city.

Why is it Ovo je and not To je? What’s the difference between ovo and to?

Both Ovo je and To je can translate as This is or That is, but there is a nuance:

Ovo je – usually this is, something close to you (physically or in focus right now).
To je – often closer to that is or it is, more neutral or a bit farther away, or when you’re talking about something just mentioned in conversation.

In everyday speech, Croatians often use to je very broadly, even when English would say this is. Here, Ovo je moj omiljeni park u gradu emphasizes that you are presenting or pointing to the park right here.

Why is it moj omiljeni park and not moja omiljeni park or moje omiljeni park?

The forms of moj (my) and omiljeni (favorite) must agree with the noun park in:

gender
number
case

park is:

masculine
singular
nominative (subject of the sentence)

So we use the masculine singular nominative forms:

moj (my) – masculine singular nominative
omiljeni (favorite) – masculine singular nominative
park – masculine singular nominative

That is why we say moj omiljeni park, not moja (feminine) or moje (neuter).

Why is it omiljeni and not omiljen? Aren’t adjectives supposed to end in -an / -en or -i?

Omiljeni is the full (long) form of the adjective, which is very common with adjectives like omiljen.

Masculine singular nominative can appear as:

omiljen – short form (often more predicative: Park je omiljen. – The park is popular/favorite.)
omiljeni – long form, very common when placed before a noun: omiljeni park

In practice, for this meaning (favorite as a descriptive adjective before a noun), Croatians strongly prefer omiljeni:

moj omiljeni park – natural
moj omiljen park – feels odd or incomplete

So omiljeni here is just the standard attributive form before a noun.

What grammatical case is park in, and why?

park is in the nominative singular:

It’s the subject of the sentence: This is my favorite park.
In X je Y structures in Croatian, the part after je (when it defines the subject) is also in the nominative.

So both Ovo (this) and park (park) are in the nominative.

What case is gradu in, and why does grad change to gradu?

gradu is locative singular of grad (city).

The preposition u (in) can take:

accusative (movement into: Idem u grad. – I’m going to the city.)
locative (location in: Sam u gradu. – I’m in the city.)

In u gradu the park is located in the city, not moving into it, so we use locative:

nominative: grad
locative: u gradu = in the city

Could I say u grad instead of u gradu here?

No, not in this sentence.

u grad (accusative) = to the city, expresses motion towards a place.
u gradu (locative) = in the city, expresses being inside a place.

The sentence describes the location of the park: my favorite park in the city, so it must be u gradu (locative).

Why is the word order Ovo je moj omiljeni park u gradu? Could I say Ovo je u gradu moj omiljeni park?

The standard, most natural order is:

Ovo je moj omiljeni park u gradu.

You can change the order for emphasis, since Croatian word order is flexible, but it affects what sounds natural and what is stressed:

Ovo je moj omiljeni park u gradu. – neutral, natural.
Ovo je u gradu moj omiljeni park. – possible, but sounds a bit marked or poetic, with more emphasis on in the city.

For everyday speech, stick to the original order.

Is je always is? When do I use je vs. other forms of biti?

je is the 3rd person singular present form of biti (to be):

ja sam – I am
ti si – you are (singular)
on/ona/ono je – he/she/it is
mi smo – we are
vi ste – you are (plural/polite)
oni/one/ona su – they are

Here the grammatical subject is Ovo (= this, it), so we use the 3rd person singular form: je.

Could I say Ovo je moj najdraži park u gradu instead? Is there any difference between omiljeni and najdraži?

Yes, you can say: Ovo je moj najdraži park u gradu.

Both omiljeni and najdraži can be translated as favorite, but:

omiljeni – general word for favorite / preferred.
najdraži – literally dearest / the most dear, a bit more emotional or affectionate.

In many contexts they are interchangeable; najdraži can sound a bit warmer or more personal.

Why does moj come before omiljeni and not after, like omiljeni moj park?

The normal, neutral order of determiners and adjectives before a noun in Croatian is:

possessive → descriptive adjective → noun

So:

moj omiljeni park – my favorite park

You can say omiljeni moj park, but that sounds poetic or very emphatic, and is not the default in everyday speech.

Is grad always masculine and does it always take moj?

Yes, grad (city / town) is a masculine noun, so:

moj grad – my city
taj grad – that city
lijep grad – a beautiful city

It will always use masculine forms of adjectives and possessives in the nominative: moj, tvoj, njegov, etc. The ending changes in other cases, but the gender (masculine) stays the same.

How would this sentence change if I wanted to say These are my favorite parks in the city?

You need plural forms for these, my, favorite, and park:

Ovo su moji omiljeni parkovi u gradu.

Changes:

Ovo je → Ovo su (because the subject parkovi is plural)
moj → moji (masculine plural nominative)
park → parkovi (masculine plural nominative)

u gradu stays the same (still in the city, locative singular).