Word
Luka reže kruh na dasci i kaže da je nož tup.
Meaning
Luka is cutting bread on the cutting board and says the knife is dull.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about Luka reže kruh na dasci i kaže da je nož tup.
Why is reže in the present tense? Can it also mean “is cutting” (continuous)?
Yes. Croatian doesn’t have a separate “continuous” tense like English. The present tense often covers both:
- Luka reže kruh. = “Luka cuts bread / Luka is cutting bread.” Context decides whether it’s habitual or happening right now.
What verb is reže from, and what does its form tell me?
reže is the 3rd person singular present of rezati (“to cut”).
So reže = “(he/she/it) cuts / is cutting.”
Is rezati / reže imperfective or perfective? Does that matter here?
rezati is imperfective, focusing on the process (“cutting”). That fits a scene description well.
A common perfective partner is odrezati (“to cut off / cut (something) up as a completed action”). For example:
- Luka je odrezao kruh. = completed result (“He cut the bread.”)
Why is kruh not preceded by “a/the”? How do I know if it’s “the bread” or “some bread”?