Šteta je velika.

The damage is extensive.

Breakdown of Šteta je velika.

• biti: to be
• velik: big
• šteta: pity; damage

Questions & Answers about Šteta je velika.

What part of speech is šteta here, and what gender is it?

Šteta is a noun, and it is feminine in Croatian.

You can tell from its dictionary form ending in -a, which is very often feminine in Croatian. Because it is feminine singular, any adjective describing it also has to be feminine singular.

That is why the sentence has velika, not velik or veliko.

Why is it velika and not some other form of velik?

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

Here:

• šteta = feminine, singular, nominative
• so the adjective must also be feminine, singular, nominative
• therefore: velika

Compare:

• velik problem = a big problem
• velika šteta = a big damage / great pity / great loss
• veliko selo = a big village

What case is šteta in this sentence?