When you start learning a language, this often comes with plenty of mistakes, and that’s perfectly okay! In fact, making them is an important part of the learning process.
I want to show you the five most common Croatian grammar mistakes learners usually make in the beginning so you can avoid them right away!
Table Of Contents
Most Common Croatian Grammar Mistakes
Here are the najčešče greške (most common mistakes) learners make in the beginning!
1. Mixing Up The Case
One of the first things Croatian learners struggle with is using the right grammatical case. If you’re not familiar with that at all, a case shows the role of a word in a sentence, like if it’s the subject, or the object.
Let’s take the word dog (pas) and the accusative case as an example. Here’s the mistake learners usually make:
- Wrong: I see a dog – Vidim pas
Because of the accusative case, the word pas changes. This is the right way to say it:
- Right: I see a dog – Vidim psa
So the word pas, changes to psa. This is because the verb ”to see” (vidjeti) in Croatian is a verb that takes a direct object, which doesn’t stay in the nominative or basic form.
The nominative case is used for the subject, or the ”doer” of the action. For example:
- The boy is happy – Dječak je sretan
The accusative case is used for the object of the thing ”being acted upon”. For example:
- I see the boy – Vidim dječaka
Croatian actually has seven cases, which require lots of studying and memorizing. For now, remember that if you can add ”I see” (vidim) in front of a noun, that noun needs to change to the accusative case! Here are some other examples of the accusative case:
| English Noun | Croatian Noun | English Sentence | Croatian Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book | Knjiga | I have a book | Imam knjigu |
| Apple | Jabuka | I want an apple | Želim jabuku |
| Jacket | Jakna | I’m buying a jacket | Kupujem jaknu |
2. Using The Wrong Verb Aspect
One of the biggest challenges for beginners learning Croatian is understanding perfective and imperfective verbs. What’s the difference?
Imperfective verbs talk about actions that are ongoing, happen repeatedly, or don’t have a clear ending.
Perfective verbs talk about actions that are finished or will be finished.
Let’s look at an example:
- Yesterday, I was writing a letter – Jučer sam pisala pismo
- Yesterday, I wrote a letter – Jučer sem napisala pismo
At first glance, both sentences look almost the same, but they don’t mean the same thing! Pisala sam means that I was in the process of writing the letter, but we don’t know if I finished it. Napisala sam means I finished writing the letter.
Why is this important? Croatians expect to hear perfective verbs when talking about a finished action. A simple trick you can use is to ask yourself the questions ”what happened?” and ”what was happening?”.
Here are some other examples:
- I was eating a sandwich – Jela sam sendvič
- I ate the sandwich – Pojela sam sendvič
We don’t know in the first sentence if the sandwich was finished, but in the second sentence the action is completed, and the sandwich is gone.
- I was watching a movie – Gledala sam film
- I watched the movie – Pogledala sam film
In the first sentence, it’s not clear if I finished watching the movie, while in the second sentence the movie was fully watched.
- I was reading a book – Čitala sam knjigu
- I read the book – Pročitala sam knjigu
Again, in the first sentence, the action of reading is ongoing, so we don’t know if the book was finished. In the second sentence, it means I read the book til the end.
Another important thing to remember is that in the examples above, I used sentences that can only be used if a woman is speaking. If a man is speaking, the past tense has different endings. For example, pisala becomes pisao, jela becomes jeo, gledala becomes gledao, čitala becomes čitao, and so on.
3. Using The Wrong Prepositions
Croatian prepositions are small words that show the relationship between other words in a sentence. Some important ones are in (u), on (na), and without (bez), and nakon (after). Here are the most common mistakes that learners make at the beginning:
3.1. Mixing In And On
In (u) is used for enclosed spaces, while on (na) is used for surfaces and events.
- Wrong: Ja sam na školi (literal translation: I am on the school)
- Right: Ja sam u školi (literal translation: I am in school)
- Wrong: Idem u koncert (literal translation: I am going in the concert)
- Right: Idem na koncert (literal translation: I am going on the concert)
- Wrong: Idem na restoran (literal translation: I am going on the restaurant)
- Right: Idem u restoran (literal translation: I am going in the restaurant)
We’ve already mentioned a little bit about Croatian cases in this post, which is something a lot of beginners struggle with. But if you learn prepositions, this can actually help you use the right case!
Some prepositions always go with the same case, while others can be used with different cases. See how, in the table below, the word school (škola) changes depending on which case is used.
| English Preposition | Croatian Preposition | Case | English Sentence | Croatian Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In | U | Locative | I am in school | Ja sam u školi |
| To | U | Accusative | I am going to school | Idem u školu |
Another common mistake happens when beginners use the preposition without (bez). This preposition always needs the genitive case!
- Wrong: Without you – Bez ti
- Right: Without you – Bez tebe
3.2. The Preposition Nakon
A special mention goes to the preposition after (nakon). In Croatian, nakon is never followed by a verb like in the English language. It’s always followed by a noun in the genitive case. For example, you wouldn’t say after working (nakon raditi), you would say after work (nakon posla).
If you need to use nakon with a verb, you need to add što. For example:
- Wrong: After I moved to Zagreb – Nakon preselila sam se u Zagreb
- Right: After I moved to Zagreb – Nakon što sem se preselila u Zagreb
To improve Croatian grammar, really try to pay attention to the prepositions and avoid common mistakes!
4. Croatian Sentence Structure And Phrases
Another common mistake that Croatian learners make is getting the word order wrong.
It’s true that Croatian has a more flexible word order than English. For example, the subject can be left out of a conversation if it’s clear from the context. In English, I’d say ”I’m going to the store”. In Croatian, it can just be said Idem u trgovinu (going to the store), because it’s clear from idem, that it’s me who’s going! No need to put I (ja) at the beginning.
But there are some strict rules, especially when it comes to words we call enclitics. These are short words that must always be in the second position of a sentence. Imagine you want to say ”that’s right”. In Croatian, you wouldn’t say je tako. The right way to say it is tako je!
If you want to say how old you are, you wouldn’t say you are a certain age but that you have a certain amount of years.
- Wrong: Sam 25 godina (I’m 25 years)
- Right: Imam 25 godina (I have 25 years)
5. The Double Negative
Lots of early learners don’t know how to negate in Croatian properly. The rule is simple: use a double negative!
For example, the phrase ”never say never” is often said incorrectly. You might think it’s nikad reci nikad, but the right way to say it is actually: nikad NE reci nikad.
Another example is the phrase ”I’ve never been to Croatia”. You wouldn’t say Nikad sam bio na Hrvatskom. The correct way to say it is: Nikad NISAM bio na Hrvatskom.
More examples:
- I don’t know anything – Ne znam ništa (literally translated this means ”I don’t know nothing”)
- I don’t see anyone – Ne vidim nikoga (literally translated, this means ”I don’t see no one”)
- I can’t go anywhere – Ne mogu nigdje ići (literally translated, this means ”I can’t go nowhere”)
Croatian Grammar Tips For Beginners
Here are some other tips that can help you avoid Croatian grammar mistakes as a beginner!
- Croatian nouns all have a gender, so always try to learn what gender the noun is. For example, dog (pas) is masculine, cat (mačka) is feminine, and sun (sunce) is neuter.
- Adjectives need to match the nouns in gender and number. For example: big dog (velik pas), and big house (velika kuća).
- A case is an important grammatical category in many languages. Croatian has seven cases that change how nouns are used in sentences. Start by learning the basics to make it easier.
- Learn prepositions together with the cases to make it easier to remember them.
- Verbs change their form depending on who’s doing the action. Combine this with learning the basic Croatian tenses: present, past, and future.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Is The Best Way To Start Learning Croatian?
The best way to master Croatian is to start with the basics, like most common words, simple sentences, and key phrases. Use a language app to get familiar with the pronunciation. Practice speaking, even if it’s just a few words. Then you can start with essential grammar step by step. Immerse yourself in the language, and be consistent. With a little practice, you’ll get better every day.
2. How Can I Remember Croatian Cases More Easily?
Croatian has seven cases, which change the endings of words depending on their role in a sentence. The most important ones to start with are nominative (used for the subject), accusative (used for the object), and genitive (shows possession).
Once you’ve got the hang of those, move on to harder ones. Learning common prepositions with their cases and practicing with short sentences will make it easier over time!
3. What Should I Look For In A Croatian Language Learning App?
When choosing the best app for learning Croatian, it’s important to look for an app that suits beginners and helps you avoid common mistakes. A Croatian beginner language app should provide clear grammar explanations, practical vocabulary, and interactive exercises.
The Ling app offers all that and more, with amazing features like native speaker audio, pronunciation practice, and engaging lessons that get more difficult as you progress!
Keep Calm And Make Mistakes
Learning Croatian isn’t easy, but mistakes mean you’re making progress! Just keep these in mind: Cases change word endings, verb aspects show if something is finished, prepositions can be tricky, word order matters, and double negatives are a must. Don’t overthink it. The more you mess up, the more you learn!
Learn The Croatian Language
Ready to learn Croatian with Ling? If you’re just starting out with Croatian, learning the basics of Croatian grammar can make all the difference!
The Ling app offers simple, beginner-friendly grammar lessons that break down tricky topics like cases, verb aspects, and prepositions into easy-to-understand notes. With interactive quizzes and bite-sized explanations, you’ll learn Croatian step by step—without feeling overwhelmed!
