A1 Prepositions 1 min read Leicht

Prepositions Governing Genitive (od, do, iz, bez, pored)

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In Croatian, certain prepositions like 'od', 'do', 'iz', 'bez', and 'pored' force the following noun into the Genitive case.

  • Use 'od' (from) + Genitive: 'od kuće' (from home).
  • Use 'do' (to/until) + Genitive: 'do škole' (to school).
  • Use 'bez' (without) + Genitive: 'bez kave' (without coffee).
Preposition + Noun(Genitive Ending) = Correct Grammar

Genitive Case Endings (Singular)

Gender Nominative Genitive Ending Example
Masculine
grad
-a
od grada
Neuter
selo
-a
do sela
Feminine
kuća
-e
bez kuće

Meanings

These prepositions act as anchors that require the noun immediately following them to take the Genitive case ending.

1

Origin/Direction

Indicating where something comes from or where it goes.

“Dolazim iz Zagreba.”

“Idem do trgovine.”

2

Absence/Negation

Indicating that something is missing or excluded.

“Pijem čaj bez šećera.”

“Odlazim bez njega.”

3

Location/Proximity

Indicating position relative to an object.

“Sjedi pored mene.”

“Kuća je pored parka.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Prepositions Governing Genitive (od, do, iz, bez, pored)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Preposition + Noun(Gen)
Idem do kuće.
Negative
Ne + Verb + Prep + Noun(Gen)
Ne idem bez tebe.
Question
Prep + Noun(Gen) + Verb?
Odakle dolaziš?
Short Answer
Prep + Noun(Gen)
Od prijatelja.
Proximity
Pored + Noun(Gen)
Pored stola.
Exclusion
Bez + Noun(Gen)
Bez šećera.

Formalitätsspektrum

Formell
Idem do trgovine.

Idem do trgovine. (Daily errand)

Neutral
Idem do dućana.

Idem do dućana. (Daily errand)

Informell
Idem do dućana.

Idem do dućana. (Daily errand)

Umgangssprache
Šibam do dućana.

Šibam do dućana. (Daily errand)

Genitive Prepositions Map

Genitive Case

Origin

  • od from
  • iz out of

Limit

  • do until/to

Exclusion

  • bez without

Location

  • pored next to
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Beispiele nach Niveau

1

Idem do škole.

I am going to school.

2

Kava bez šećera.

Coffee without sugar.

3

Dolazim iz Hrvatske.

I come from Croatia.

4

Sjedi pored mene.

Sit next to me.

1

Vlak ide od Splita.

The train goes from Split.

2

Ne mogu bez tebe.

I cannot do without you.

3

Kuća je pored parka.

The house is next to the park.

4

Do kada radiš?

Until when do you work?

1

Pismo je od prijatelja.

The letter is from a friend.

2

Bez ikakvog razloga.

Without any reason.

3

Došao sam do kraja.

I have reached the end.

4

Pored stola stoji stolica.

Next to the table stands a chair.

1

Odlazim od kuće rano.

I leave home early.

2

Bez obzira na sve.

Regardless of everything.

3

Došli smo do zaključka.

We have reached a conclusion.

4

Pored rijeke je hladno.

It is cold by the river.

1

Od jutra do mraka.

From morning till night.

2

Bez trunke sumnje.

Without a shred of doubt.

3

Pored svih problema.

Despite all the problems.

4

Iz dana u dan.

From day to day.

1

Od pamtivijeka.

Since time immemorial.

2

Bez ikakve zadrške.

Without any hesitation.

3

Do samoga vrha.

To the very top.

4

Pored svega navedenog.

Besides everything mentioned.

Leicht verwechselbar

Prepositions Governing Genitive (od, do, iz, bez, pored) vs. U vs Do

Both indicate movement, but 'u' means 'into' (Accusative) and 'do' means 'up to' (Genitive).

Prepositions Governing Genitive (od, do, iz, bez, pored) vs. Iz vs Od

Both mean 'from', but 'iz' is 'out of' and 'od' is 'away from'.

Prepositions Governing Genitive (od, do, iz, bez, pored) vs. Genitive vs Accusative

Learners often use Accusative for all prepositions.

Häufige Fehler

✗

bez kava

✓

bez kave

Feminine nouns ending in -a change to -e in Genitive.
✗

od grad

✓

od grada

Masculine nouns need the -a ending.
✗

do kuća

✓

do kuće

Feminine nouns need the -e ending.
✗

iz Zagreb

✓

iz Zagreba

Masculine nouns need the -a ending.
✗

pored ja

✓

pored mene

Pronouns have specific Genitive forms.
✗

bez on

✓

bez njega

Pronoun 'on' becomes 'njega' in Genitive.
✗

do automobili

✓

do automobila

Plural Genitive for masculine is -a.
✗

iz zemlje

✓

iz zemalja

Plural Genitive for feminine is -a.
✗

od čovjek

✓

od čovjeka

Irregular noun stem changes.

Satzmuster

Idem do ___.

Pijem ___ bez ___.

Dolazim iz ___.

Sjedi pored ___.

Real World Usage

Ordering coffee constant

Kavu bez šećera, molim.

Travel directions very common

Idem do kolodvora.

Texting friends common

Čekam te pored kina.

Job interview occasional

Dolazim iz tvrtke...

Food delivery apps common

Pizza bez gljiva.

Social media common

Bez tebe nije isto.

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💡

The 'OBIDZ' Trick

Memorize the acronym OBIDZ to remember which prepositions take the Genitive case.
⚠️

Don't Forget the Ending

The most common mistake is forgetting to change the noun ending. Always double-check your endings.
🎯

Practice with Pronouns

Pronouns change more than nouns. Practice 'bez mene', 'bez tebe', 'bez njega'.
💬

Natural Speech

Native speakers use these prepositions constantly. Listen for them in daily conversation.

Smart Tips

Pause and ask: 'Does this preposition take the Genitive?'

Idem do škola. → Idem do škole.

Always change the final -a to -e.

Bez kava. → Bez kave.

Add -a to the end.

Od grad. → Od grada.

Learn the Genitive forms (mene, tebe, njega) by heart.

Bez ja. → Bez mene.

Aussprache

grada (GRA-da)

Genitive endings

The '-a' and '-e' endings are short and unstressed.

Statement

Idem do kuće. ↘

Falling intonation for facts.

Einprägen

Eselsbrücke

Remember 'OBIDZ' (Od, Bez, Iz, Do, Z-pored).

Visuelle Assoziation

Imagine a coffee cup (bez kave) sitting next to a map (do grada) that shows where you came from (iz Zagreba).

Rhyme

Od, do, iz, bez, pored, sve u Genitivu red!

Story

Marko goes 'do' the shop. He buys coffee 'bez' sugar. He walks 'pored' the park. He comes 'iz' the park.

Word Web

oddoizbezporedgenitiv

Herausforderung

Write 5 sentences using these prepositions in 5 minutes.

Kulturelle Hinweise

Coffee culture is huge. 'Kava bez šećera' is a standard order.

They often drop the final 'a' in speech, but write it correctly.

Very traditional usage of these prepositions.

These prepositions are Proto-Slavic in origin and have maintained their case-governing nature for centuries.

Gesprächseinstiege

“

Odakle dolaziš?

“

Piješ li kavu bez šećera?

“

Gdje je tvoja kuća?

“

Do kada radiš danas?

Tagebuch-Impulse

Describe your morning routine using 'od' and 'do'.
Write about a place you want to visit using 'iz'.
Describe your favorite drink and how you take it.
Explain where you live relative to landmarks.

Häufige Fehler

Incorrect

Richtig

Incorrect

Richtig

Incorrect

Richtig

Incorrect

Richtig

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Test Yourself

Fill in the correct form.

Idem do ___ (trgovina).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: trgovine
Genitive of trgovina is trgovine.
Choose the correct preposition. Multiple Choice

Pijem čaj ___ šećera.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: bez
Bez takes Genitive.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Dolazim iz Zagreb.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dolazim iz Zagreba
Masculine Genitive is -a.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

Arrange the words in the correct order:

All words placed

Click words above to build the sentence

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Idem do kuće
Correct word order.
Translate to Croatian. Übersetzung

Without you.

Answer starts with: Bez...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Bez tebe
Genitive of ti is tebe.
Match preposition with meaning. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-from, 2-to, 3-without
Correct meanings.
Build a sentence. Sentence Building

pored / stola / Sjedi

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Sjedi pored stola
Correct syntax.
Genitive of 'grad'. Conjugation Drill

od ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: grada
Genitive of grad is grada.

Score: /8

Ubungsaufgaben

8 exercises
Fill in the correct form.

Idem do ___ (trgovina).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: trgovine
Genitive of trgovina is trgovine.
Choose the correct preposition. Multiple Choice

Pijem čaj ___ šećera.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: bez
Bez takes Genitive.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Dolazim iz Zagreb.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dolazim iz Zagreba
Masculine Genitive is -a.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

kuće / Idem / do

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Idem do kuće
Correct word order.
Translate to Croatian. Übersetzung

Without you.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Bez tebe
Genitive of ti is tebe.
Match preposition with meaning. Match Pairs

Match: 1. od, 2. do, 3. bez

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-from, 2-to, 3-without
Correct meanings.
Build a sentence. Sentence Building

pored / stola / Sjedi

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Sjedi pored stola
Correct syntax.
Genitive of 'grad'. Conjugation Drill

od ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: grada
Genitive of grad is grada.

Score: /8

FAQ (8)

Cases are the backbone of Croatian grammar. They show the relationship between words in a sentence.

Yes, there are many, but these five are the most frequent.

Yes, but the endings change. For example, 'gradovi' becomes 'gradova'.

No, they are used with nouns and pronouns.

They are similar, but 'pored' means 'next to' while 'blizu' means 'near'.

Pronouns have their own unique forms in the Genitive case.

Yes, if you use these prepositions, the Genitive is mandatory.

Usually by the ending: -a is feminine, consonants are masculine.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

German high

Prepositions + Genitive/Dative/Accusative

Croatian uses Genitive for 'bez', German uses Accusative.

Spanish low

Prepositions + Noun

Croatian requires noun inflection; Spanish does not.

French low

Prepositions + Noun

Croatian is highly inflected; French is not.

Japanese low

Noun + Particle

Word order and particle vs. preposition system.

Arabic moderate

Prepositions + Genitive (Majrur)

Arabic uses suffixes; Croatian uses case endings on the noun.

Chinese none

Prepositions + Noun

Total lack of inflection in Chinese.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Genitive for Negation of Existence (Nema...)

Related Grammar Rules

B2

Prepositions Governing Dative and Locative (e.g., pri, k)
A1

Prepositions with Genitive (Origin & Separation)
A2

Using Locative to Express 'About' or 'On'
A2

Expressing 'By Means of' (Čime?)
B1

Prepositions Expressing Concession (unatoč, usprkos)
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