Questions & Answers about Moj gležanj se polako oporavlja.
What does each word in Moj gležanj se polako oporavlja mean?
A word-by-word breakdown is:
- Moj = my
- gležanj = ankle
- se = a reflexive particle, used with some verbs
- polako = slowly
- oporavlja = recovers / is recovering
So the sentence literally looks like:
My ankle is slowly recovering.
Why is moj used here? Do Croatians always say my with body parts?
Not always.
Croatian can use a possessive adjective like moj just as English does:
- Moj gležanj se polako oporavlja. = My ankle is slowly recovering.
But Croatian also very often uses a dative pronoun instead, especially with body parts:
- Gležanj mi se polako oporavlja.
This also means My ankle is slowly recovering, but it is often more natural in everyday speech.
So moj is completely correct, but it is not the only natural way to express possession here.
What case is gležanj in?