Subject-Verb Agreement in Nominative
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Croatian, the verb ending changes to match the person (I, you, he/she) and the number (singular/plural) of the subject.
- Identify the subject (e.g., 'Ja' for I).
- Find the verb stem (e.g., 'raditi' -> 'rad-').
- Add the correct ending (e.g., 'radim' for I work).
Present Tense Conjugation (Verb: Raditi)
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
|
1st (I/We)
|
radim
|
radimo
|
|
2nd (You/You all)
|
radiš
|
radite
|
|
3rd (He/She/They)
|
radi
|
rade
|
Meanings
Subject-verb agreement ensures that the verb form correctly reflects the grammatical person and number of the subject in the nominative case.
Present Tense Agreement
Matching the verb to the subject in the present tense.
“Ja radim.”
“Ti radiš.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Verb
|
Ja radim.
|
|
Negative
|
Ne + Verb
|
Ne radim.
|
|
Question
|
Verb + li + Subject
|
Radiš li?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Verb
|
Radim.
|
|
Plural
|
Subject + Verb (plural)
|
Mi radimo.
|
|
Formal
|
Vi + Verb (plural)
|
Vi radite.
|
Formalitätsspektrum
Što radite? (Asking about activities)
Što radiš? (Asking about activities)
Što radiš? (Asking about activities)
Šta radiš? (Asking about activities)
The Verb Core
Singular
- radim I work
- radiš You work
Plural
- radimo We work
- radite You all work
Beispiele nach Niveau
Ja radim.
I work.
Ti čitaš.
You read.
On spava.
He sleeps.
Mi učimo.
We learn.
Ne razumijem.
I don't understand.
Što radiš danas?
What are you doing today?
Oni ne dolaze.
They are not coming.
Da li govoriš hrvatski?
Do you speak Croatian?
Zovem se Marko.
My name is Marko.
Moramo ići kući.
We must go home.
Ona se smije.
She is laughing.
Vi znate odgovor.
You know the answer.
Iako sam umoran, radim.
Although I am tired, I work.
Oni su odlučili otići.
They decided to leave.
Biste li mogli pomoći?
Could you help?
Svi se slažu s tim.
Everyone agrees with that.
Čini se da znaju sve.
It seems they know everything.
Ne bih to učinio.
I wouldn't do that.
Svatko ima svoje mišljenje.
Everyone has their own opinion.
Bilo bi bolje da dođu.
It would be better if they came.
Bijahu to dani ponosa.
Those were the days of pride.
Nitko ne zna kamo idu.
No one knows where they are going.
Kad bi barem znali istinu.
If only they knew the truth.
Sve se mijenja, zar ne?
Everything changes, doesn't it?
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners often use the dictionary form for everything.
Learners mix up the endings for 'he' and 'they'.
Using 'ti' with strangers.
Häufige Fehler
Ja raditi
Ja radim
On radim
On radi
Ti radi
Ti radiš
Mi radi
Mi radimo
Ne raditi
Ne radim
Radiš li ja?
Radim li ja?
Oni radi
Oni rade
Ja se zovem Marko
Zovem se Marko
Oni su raditi
Oni su radili
Vi radiš
Vi radite
Bilo bi bolje da dolaze
Bilo bi bolje da dođu
Svatko imaju
Svatko ima
Nitko ne znaju
Nitko ne zna
Oni bijahu radili
Oni bijahu radili
Satzmuster
Ja ___ (verb).
Ti ___ (verb)?
Mi ___ (verb) u ___ (place).
Oni ___ (verb) jer ___ (reason).
Real World Usage
Što radiš?
Radim u marketingu.
Želim pizzu.
Gdje stanuješ?
Dolazim.
Molim vas, javite se.
Drop the pronoun
Infinitive trap
Group your verbs
Formal address
Smart Tips
Look at the infinitive. If it ends in -ati, it's likely an -am verb.
Use the plural 'Vi' for anyone you don't know well.
Drop the pronouns to keep your flow smooth.
Always use full forms and avoid slang.
Aussprache
Vowel length
Some vowels are long, some are short. This doesn't change the meaning but sounds more natural.
Question intonation
Radiš li? ↗
Rising pitch at the end for yes/no questions.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Remember the 'M-S-I' rule for singular: -m, -š, -i (My Sweet Ice cream).
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a robot with different colored buttons on its chest. Each button is a person (I, you, he). When you press a button, the robot's screen changes to show the correct verb ending.
Rhyme
For I use -m, for You use -š, for He/She use -i, that's the best!
Story
I am a chef. I say 'Ja kuham' (I cook). You are my helper, so you 'kuhaš' (you cook). Together, we 'kuhamo' (we cook) for the whole village.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Write 5 sentences about your daily routine using different subjects.
Kulturelle Hinweise
In coastal regions, people often use 'šta' instead of 'što' and might drop final consonants.
Standard Croatian is spoken here, but with specific intonation patterns.
Often uses more archaic forms and specific vocabulary.
Croatian verb endings are inherited from Proto-Slavic, which had a complex system of inflection.
Gesprächseinstiege
Što radiš danas?
Govoriš li hrvatski?
Što želiš raditi sutra?
Kako se osjećaš danas?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
Ja ___.
Ti ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Oni radim.
Ja radim.
A: Što ___? B: Radim.
radim / Ja / danas
Mi ___.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesJa ___.
Ti ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Oni radim.
Ja radim.
A: Što ___? B: Radim.
radim / Ja / danas
Mi ___.
Ja -> ?, Ti -> ?
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
The verb ending already tells us who the subject is. It's more efficient and natural.
It will sound like you are speaking broken Croatian. Always conjugate!
Yes, like 'biti' (to be) or 'htjeti' (to want). You have to memorize these.
Look at the infinitive ending. -ati verbs usually follow one pattern, -iti another.
Yes, it is the plural form used for formal address.
Yes, if you want to emphasize that *you* (and not someone else) are doing it.
They are similar, but Croatian has specific endings that differ from Russian.
Start by memorizing the endings for -ati verbs.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Conjugation by person
Spanish has more tenses and moods.
Conjugation by person
Croatian endings are always pronounced.
Verb conjugation
German requires the pronoun for clarity.
No conjugation for person
Croatian requires conjugation; Japanese does not.
Gendered conjugation
Arabic conjugation is more complex with gender.
No conjugation
Croatian changes the verb itself.
