Naš plan se često mijenja.

Our plan often changes.

Breakdown of Naš plan se često mijenja.

• često: often
• naš: our
• plan: plan
• mijenjati se: to change

Questions & Answers about Naš plan se često mijenja.

What is the function of se in Naš plan se često mijenja?

Se is a reflexive pronoun, but in sentences like this it mainly works as a marker that makes the verb intransitive.

• mijenjati = to change something (you need an object)
  
  • Često mijenjamo plan. – We often change the plan.
• mijenjati se = to change, to be changing (no object; the subject changes itself / undergoes change)
  
  • Naš plan se često mijenja. – Our plan often changes.

If you removed se and said Naš plan često mijenja, it would sound incomplete: Our plan often changes… (what?). You would expect an object after it. So se is necessary here to get the meaning changes (by itself / as something that undergoes change).

Why is the word order Naš plan se često mijenja and not Naš se plan često mijenja? Are both correct?

Both are correct and natural:

• Naš plan se često mijenja.
• Naš se plan često mijenja.

The difference is very small:

• Naš plan se često mijenja. – slightly more neutral; naš plan is one unit at the start, and se comes after it.
• Naš se plan često mijenja. – puts a tiny bit more emphasis on plan as our plan (as opposed to someone else’s), but in everyday speech most people wouldn’t feel a big difference.

Why can se be after plan?
Se is a clitic (an unstressed short word) that tends to go in “second position” in the clause, usually after the first phrase, not just the first word. Here, Naš plan is one phrase, so se naturally follows it.

Can I say Naš plan često mijenja without se?

Not with the same meaning.

• Naš plan često mijenja. – feels incomplete. It sounds like Our plan often changes… (something). You are waiting for an object.

If you add an object, then it is fine:

• Naš plan često mijenja termin. – Our plan often changes the date/time.
• Naš plan često mijenja detalje. – Our plan often changes the details.

But if you want to say Our plan often changes (by itself / as a state), you need:

• Naš plan se često mijenja.

What is the infinitive of mijenja and how is it conjugated?

The infinitive is mijenjati (to change).

In the present tense (imperfective), without se, it conjugates like this:

• ja mijenjam – I change
• ti mijenjaš – you change (singular, informal)
• on / ona / ono mijenja – he / she / it changes
• mi mijenjamo – we change
• vi mijenjate – you change (plural / formal)
• oni / one / ona mijenjaju – they change

In Naš plan se često mijenja, the form mijenja is 3rd person singular, agreeing with plan (he/it changes).

Why is it naš plan and not naša plan?

Because plan is a masculine noun in Croatian.

The possessive adjective naš (our) must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

• plan – masculine, singular, nominative
  → naš plan – our plan

Compare:

• naša kuća – our house (feminine)
• naše dijete – our child (neuter)

So:

• masculine: naš plan
• feminine: naša ideja (our idea)
• neuter: naše pismo (our letter)

What is the subject of the sentence, and what is the verb?

• Subject: Naš plan – our plan
• Verb (predicate): se često mijenja – often changes

More specifically:

• mijenja is the main verb in the present tense, 3rd person singular.
• se is the reflexive clitic attached to the verb.
• često is an adverb (often) modifying the verb.

So grammatically:
Naš plan (subject) + se često mijenja (verb phrase).

What does često do in this sentence, and can it move to other positions?

Često means often and is an adverb of frequency. In this sentence it tells us how frequently the plan changes.

The given word order is:

• Naš plan se često mijenja.

You can move često a bit, with only slight changes in emphasis:

• Naš se plan često mijenja. – very natural.
• Često se naš plan mijenja. – emphasizes often: It is often that our plan changes.
• Naš plan često se mijenja. – possible, but less common; some speakers may find it a bit clunky.

The most typical everyday versions are:

• Naš plan se često mijenja.
• Naš se plan često mijenja.
• Često se naš plan mijenja. (with emphasis on often)

Is mijenjati se imperfective or perfective, and what is the perfective form?

Mijenjati se is imperfective. It focuses on the process or repeated action of changing.

• Naš plan se često mijenja. – Our plan often changes / is changing (repeatedly / habitually).

The common perfective counterpart is promijeniti se (to change, to have changed as a single, completed event):

• Naš se plan promijenio. – Our plan has changed / changed. (once, as a completed change)
• Plan će se promijeniti. – The plan will change. (one change, completed in the future)

So:

• frequent/habitual/ongoing: mijenjati se (imperfective)
• single completed change: promijeniti se (perfective)

How would I say Our plans often change (plural), and how is the plural formed?

You would say:

• Naši planovi se često mijenjaju. – Our plans often change.

Changes compared to the singular:

1. naš → naši (masculine nominative singular → masculine nominative plural)
2. plan → planovi (masculine noun plural with -ovi)
3. mijenja → mijenjaju (3rd person singular → 3rd person plural)

So the pattern is:

• singular: Naš plan se često mijenja.
• plural: Naši planovi se često mijenjaju.

How would I say We often change our plan, and what is the difference in meaning?

To say We often change our plan, you can use the non‑reflexive verb mijenjati with a direct object:

• Često mijenjamo naš plan. – We often change our plan.

Differences:

• Naš plan se često mijenja. – focuses on the plan itself as something that (keeps) changing; who changes it is not stated or not important.
• Često mijenjamo naš plan. – focuses on us as the ones who do the changing.

Both can describe the same real‑world situation, but they highlight different things: the changing plan vs. us changing it.