Taj glumac je smješniji u filmu nego u seriji.

Taj means that.

So taj glumac literally means that actor, not just the actor.

Croatian does not have articles like the or a/an, so a noun like glumac can mean actor, an actor, or the actor, depending on context.
Here, taj adds the idea of that specific actor.

Related forms:

• ovaj = this
• taj = that
• onaj = that over there / that one

Glumac is in the nominative singular because it is the subject of the sentence.

The subject is the person or thing being talked about:

• Taj glumac = That actor

Since the actor is the one being described as funnier, nominative is the expected case here.

Also:

• glumac is a masculine singular noun
• dictionary form: glumac = actor

Je is the 3rd person singular form of biti (to be) and means is here.

In Croatian, short unstressed forms like je are clitics, and clitics usually go in the second position in the sentence or clause.

So:

• Taj glumac je smješniji... = natural
• literally: That actor is funnier...

You will often notice this pattern in Croatian:

• Ivan je umoran. = Ivan is tired.
• Moja sestra je ovdje. = My sister is here.

The exact idea of second position is about clitic placement, not simply “the second word” in a mechanical way, but for a learner it is a good first rule.

Smješniji is the comparative form of smiješan, which means funny.

So:

• smiješan = funny
• smješniji = funnier

This is a normal Croatian pattern: many adjectives form the comparative with -iji or a similar ending, but the stem may change a little.

Examples:

• star → stariji = old → older
• ljep → ljepši = beautiful → more beautiful
• smiješan → smješniji = funny → funnier

So you should learn smješniji as the comparative form that belongs with smiješan.

Because comparatives in Croatian are not always built by simply adding an ending to the full basic form.

With smiješan, the stem changes when making the comparative, giving smješniji.

This kind of change is normal and should mostly be learned as part of the adjective:

• basic form: smiješan
• comparative: smješniji
• superlative: najs mješniji? No — najsmješniji

So the safe approach is:

1. learn the basic adjective
2. learn its comparative as a full form

Croatian usually prefers a single comparative form, just like English funnier rather than more funny.

So:

• smješniji = funnier

Using više with many ordinary adjectives is usually not the natural first choice when a regular comparative form already exists.

In other words, Croatian often does this:

• visok → viši = tall → taller
• smiješan → smješniji = funny → funnier

Nego is the word used here to mean than in a comparison.

So:

• smješniji ... nego ... = funnier ... than ...

In this sentence, you are comparing the actor in two contexts:

• u filmu = in the film
• u seriji = in the series

So:

• smješniji u filmu nego u seriji
• funnier in the film than in the series

A useful contrast:

• nego is commonly used when comparing phrases or clauses
• od can also mean than, especially before a noun/pronoun in the genitive, for example:
  • On je viši od mene. = He is taller than me.

Here, nego is the natural choice.

They are in the locative singular because they follow u in the sense of in a place, setting, or context.

So:

• film → u filmu = in the film
• serija → u seriji = in the series

Croatian u can take different cases:

• u + locative = location, being in/inside
• u + accusative = motion into

Compare:

• On je u filmu. = He is in the film.
• On ulazi u film. = He enters the film. (grammatically accusative, though semantically unusual)

In your sentence, there is no movement, only location/context, so locative is used.

It can mean more than physical location. Here it refers to the actor’s portrayal or effect in the film, meaning when you see him in the film or in that medium/context.

So the sentence is not about the actor physically standing inside a movie. It means that his character, acting, or comic effect is funnier in the film than in the series.

Croatian often uses u this way for context:

• u knjizi = in the book
• u članku = in the article
• u seriji = in the series

The base form is serija, meaning series.

Here are the relevant forms:

• serija = nominative singular
• u seriji = locative singular

Because serija is a feminine noun ending in -a, its locative singular often ends in -i:

• škola → u školi
• knjiga → u knjizi
• serija → u seriji

So u seriji simply means in the series.

It actually already matches the noun it describes.

Smješniji is:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

And it agrees with glumac, which is also:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

Croatian adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

If the noun changed, the adjective would change too. For example:

• Taj glumac je smješniji. = masculine singular
• Ta glumica je smješnija. = feminine singular

So smješniji is the correct form because it describes glumac.

Yes, Croatian word order is fairly flexible, but not completely free.

The neutral order here is:

• Taj glumac je smješniji u filmu nego u seriji.

You may also hear variations depending on emphasis, for example:

• U filmu je taj glumac smješniji nego u seriji.
• Taj je glumac smješniji u filmu nego u seriji.

The meaning stays very similar, but the focus can shift slightly.

One important thing remains: the clitic je still follows Croatian clitic placement rules.

No, not in this sentence.

Od is used with a noun or pronoun in the genitive when comparing directly with that noun/pronoun:

• On je viši od mene. = He is taller than me.

But here you are not saying:

• The actor is funnier than the series

You are saying:

• The actor is funnier in the film than in the series

That is a comparison between two situations/contexts, so nego is the right word:

• u filmu nego u seriji

A few things may stand out to an English speaker:

• sj in smješniji is pronounced smoothly together, not like separate strongly pronounced English sounds
• š sounds like English sh
• j sounds like English y
• stress is not usually marked in normal spelling, so learners often need to hear the word

A rough guide:

• smješniji sounds approximately like SMYE-shnee-yee, though that is only an approximation

It helps to notice:

• š = sh
• j = y
• nj = a palatal sound, similar to the ny in canyon for many learners

Yes, that is the natural interpretation.

The sentence compares the same actor in two contexts:

• in the film
• in the series

So it suggests that this actor is funny in both, but funnier in the film than in the series.

It does not necessarily tell you whether it is the same character or the same story universe; it only compares how funny the actor seems in those two settings.