Dvojica prijatelja čekaju u marini.

Breakdown of Dvojica prijatelja čekaju u marini.

prijatelj
friend
u
in
čekati
to wait
marina
marina
dvojica
two men

Questions & Answers about Dvojica prijatelja čekaju u marini.

What does dvojica mean, and why isn’t it dva?

Dvojica means two, but it is the special form normally used for two male people.

So with prijatelji meaning friends (male friends, or a masculine-mixed form), Croatian often prefers:

dvojica prijatelja = two friends

By contrast:

  • dva is the basic form for many masculine and neuter nouns
  • dvije is used with feminine nouns

So dvojica prijatelja sounds more natural and standard here than dva prijatelja if you mean two male friends.

Why is it prijatelja and not prijatelji?

After dvojica, the following noun goes in the genitive plural.

So:

  • prijatelj = friend
  • prijatelja = of friends / friends after this numeral pattern

That is why Croatian says:

dvojica prijatelja

not

dvojica prijatelji

Is prijatelja singular or plural here?

Here it is plural.

The form prijatelja can look confusing because it is the same in:

But in this sentence, because of dvojica, it must be understood as genitive plural: two friends.

Why is the verb čekaju plural?

Because the subject refers to two people.

Even though prijatelja may not look obviously plural to an English speaker, the whole subject dvojica prijatelja means two friends, so the verb is plural:

  • čeka = he/she is waiting
  • čekaju = they are waiting
Why is there no word for for after čekaju?

In Croatian, čekati often takes a direct object without a preposition.

For example:

  • Čekam autobus. = I’m waiting for the bus.
  • Čekaju prijatelja. = They’re waiting for a friend.

In your sentence, that object is simply not stated. So čekaju just means they are waiting, and u marini tells you where.

Does čekaju mean wait or are waiting?

It can mean either, depending on context.

Croatian present tense often covers both:

  • they wait
  • they are waiting

In this sentence, the natural English translation is are waiting.

Also, čekati is an imperfective verb, which fits ongoing or repeated actions.

What case is u marini, and why isn’t it u marinu?

Here u marini is in the locative because it shows location.

  • u marini = in/at the marina
  • u marinu = into the marina / movement toward it

So:

  • čekaju u marini = they are waiting there
  • if they were moving into it, you would use the accusative form instead
Why is there no word for the in the sentence?

Because Croatian has no articles.

English uses a and the, but Croatian does not. So u marini can mean:

  • in the marina
  • in a marina

The exact meaning depends on context.

Is marina basically the same word as in English?

Yes. Marina in Croatian means a marina, a place for boats and yachts.

It is a feminine noun:

Can the word order change?

Yes. Croatian word order is more flexible than English word order.

The sentence as given is a neutral, natural order:

Dvojica prijatelja čekaju u marini.

But you could also say:

U marini čekaju dvojica prijatelja.

That shifts the focus a bit more toward where they are waiting. The basic meaning stays the same.

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