Breakdown of Vatrogasac i policajka razgovarali su ispred zgrade nakon požara.
i
and
ispred
in front of
razgovarati
to talk
nakon
after
Questions & Answers about Vatrogasac i policajka razgovarali su ispred zgrade nakon požara.
Why is it vatrogasac but policajka?
These are gendered nouns for professions:
- vatrogasac = firefighter (masculine form)
- policajka = policewoman / female police officer (feminine form)
The masculine counterpart of policajka is policajac.
So this sentence specifically describes a male firefighter and a female police officer.
Why is the verb razgovarali in the masculine plural form?
In Croatian past tense, the main part of the verb agrees with the subject in number and, in the plural, often in gender.
Here the subject is:
- vatrogasac = masculine singular
- policajka = feminine singular
Together, they form a mixed-gender plural group, and Croatian normally uses the masculine plural form for mixed groups. That is why you get:
- razgovarali su = they were talking / talked
If the group were all female, you would use razgovarale su.
How is razgovarali su built?