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U torbi imam uplatnicu, ali nemam olovku, pa je posuđujem od službenice.

U torbi imam uplatnicu, ali nemam olovku, pa je posuđujem od službenice.
I have the payment slip in my bag, but I don’t have a pen, so I borrow one from the clerk.

Breakdown of U torbi imam uplatnicu, ali nemam olovku, pa je posuđujem od službenice.

imati
to have
ne
not
u
in
ali
but
od
from
torba
bag
je
it
pa
so/then
uplatnica
payment slip
olovka
pen
posuđivati
to borrow
službenica
clerk
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Questions & Answers about U torbi imam uplatnicu, ali nemam olovku, pa je posuđujem od službenice.

Why does u torbi use the form torbi and not torba?

Because u (when it means in/inside and answers “where?”) requires the locative case.

  • torba (dictionary form = nominative singular)
  • u torbi = in the bag (locative singular of torba)
    If u meant into (movement, “where to?”), you’d use the accusative: u torbu (into the bag).
Why is it U torbi imam... and not Imam... u torbi? Is the word order special?
Both are possible. Putting U torbi first is a common way to set the scene and emphasize the location (As for what’s in my bag…). Croatian word order is flexible, and position often reflects emphasis or what’s “known” vs “new” information.
Why does imam take uplatnicu and olovku in this form (not uplatnica/olovka)?

With imati (to have), the thing you have is typically in the accusative case (direct object).

  • imam uplatnicu (accusative singular of uplatnica)
  • nemam olovku (accusative singular of olovka)
    The nominative (uplatnica, olovka) would be used for the subject of a sentence, not the object.
What is uplatnicu grammatically (gender/case), and how do I know it’s accusative?

uplatnica is a feminine noun. Here it’s accusative singular because it’s the object of imam. For many feminine nouns ending in -a, the accusative singular ends in -u:

  • uplatnica → uplatnicu
  • olovka → olovku
Why is it nemam olovku and not something like ne imam?

For imati, Croatian has a special negative present form:

  • imam = I have
  • nemam = I don’t have
    This ne- is fused into one word in standard usage.
What does pa mean here, and how is it different from i or onda?

Here pa means “so / therefore”, linking the second clause as a consequence:
... nemam olovku, pa je posuđujem ... = ... I don’t have a pen, so I borrow it ...

  • i usually just adds information (and) without a cause-result feel.
  • onda (then) often sounds more sequential/step-by-step; pa is very common for a natural consequence in speech and writing.
What does the je refer to—uplatnicu or olovku?

It refers to olovku (pen). The logic is: I don’t have a pen, so I borrow it.
Also, je is the short object pronoun “it/her” in the accusative for a feminine singular noun, which matches olovka.

Why is the pronoun je placed before the verb (je posuđujem) and not after (posuđujem je)?

Croatian short pronouns (clitics) usually go in the second position of their clause (after the first “unit”). In pa je posuđujem, the first unit is pa, so je comes right after it.
Pa posuđujem je is generally not standard.
Posuđujem je is fine if the clause starts with the verb (then je is “second” after posuđujem).

Why is the verb posuđujem in the present tense if this is a one-time action?

Croatian often uses the present tense for actions happening right now or in the immediate situation, even if they are single events: I’m borrowing it (now).
Also, posuđivati/posuđujem is typically imperfective, which fits an action viewed as ongoing/within the situation. A perfective alternative exists (often posuditi), but the present of a perfective verb usually points to the future, so posuđujem is very natural here.

What case is službenice in od službenice, and why?

od (from) requires the genitive case. So:

  • službenica (nominative) = female clerk/official
  • od službenice (genitive) = from the (female) clerk
    If it were a male clerk: od službenika.
Why does Croatian specify od službenice (“from the clerk”) instead of using a direct/indirect object like “borrow her a pen”?

Croatian commonly expresses the source person with posuditi/posuđivati + od + genitive: borrow (something) from someone.
English often uses either borrow it from her (similar structure) or other phrasing, but od + genitive is the standard Croatian pattern.

Why are there commas around ali and before pa?

They separate independent clauses:

  • ..., ali ... = ..., but ... (contrast)
  • ..., pa ... = ..., so ... (result)
    In standard Croatian punctuation, it’s normal to put a comma before conjunctions like ali and pa when they connect full clauses (not just single words).