Verbs of Opinion (Mislim da, Smatram da)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'Mislim da' for personal thoughts and 'Smatram da' for formal stances; always keep the 'da' to connect your ideas.
- Use 'Mislim da' + [Sentence] for everyday opinions. Example: 'Mislim da će padati kiša.'
- Use 'Smatram da' for professional or serious judgments. Example: 'Smatram da je ovo rješenje najbolje.'
- Never drop the 'da' (that) like you might in English; it is grammatically mandatory in Croatian.
Common Verbs of Opinion (Present Tense)
| Person | Misliti (Neutral) | Smatrati (Formal) | Vjerovati (Belief) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ja
|
mislim
|
smatram
|
vjerujem
|
|
Ti
|
misliš
|
smatraš
|
vjeruješ
|
|
On/Ona/Ono
|
misli
|
smatra
|
vjeruje
|
|
Mi
|
mislimo
|
smatramo
|
vjerujemo
|
|
Vi
|
mislite
|
smatrate
|
vjerujete
|
|
Oni/One/Ona
|
misle
|
smatraju
|
vjeruju
|
Meanings
Verbs of opinion are used to introduce a subordinate clause that expresses a thought, belief, or judgment held by the speaker.
General Thought
Using 'misliti' to express a neutral, everyday belief or mental process.
“Mislim da je film počeo.”
“Mislim da ga poznajem.”
Formal Stance
Using 'smatrati' to express a considered judgment, often in professional, academic, or serious contexts.
“Smatram da je ovaj zakon nepravedan.”
“Smatramo da je suradnja ključna.”
Belief/Conviction
Using 'vjerovati' to express a strong personal conviction or hope.
“Vjerujem da će sve biti u redu.”
“Vjerujem da on govori istinu.”
Assumption
Using 'pretpostavljati' to express a logical guess or hypothesis.
“Pretpostavljam da ste umorni.”
“Pretpostavljam da već znate vijesti.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Verb + da + Clause
|
Mislim da on spava.
|
|
Negative (Main)
|
Ne + Verb + da + Clause
|
Ne mislim da on spava.
|
|
Negative (Sub)
|
Verb + da + ne + Clause
|
Mislim da on ne spava.
|
|
Question (li)
|
Verb-iš + li + da + Clause
|
Misliš li da on spava?
|
|
Question (da li)
|
Da li + Verb-iš + da + Clause
|
Da li misliš da on spava?
|
|
Formal Opinion
|
Smatram + da + Clause
|
Smatram da je to važno.
|
|
Assumption
|
Pretpostavljam + da + Clause
|
Pretpostavljam da si umoran.
|
|
Clitic Order
|
Verb + da + Clitic + Clause
|
Mislim da **se** on šali.
|
Formalitätsspektrum
Smatram da bismo trebali krenuti. (Leaving a place)
Mislim da bismo trebali ići. (Leaving a place)
Mislim da je vrijeme za pokret. (Leaving a place)
Mislim da je to-to, ajmo. (Leaving a place)
The Spectrum of Certainty
Informal
- Misliti To think
Formal
- Smatrati To consider
Emotional
- Vjerovati To believe
Logical
- Pretpostavljati To assume
Misliti vs. Smatrati
Choosing the Right Verb
Is it a casual thought?
Is it a professional judgment?
Clitic Placement after 'da'
Pronouns
- • da me
- • da te
- • da ga
- • da nas
Reflexive
- • da se
Auxiliary
- • da sam
- • da si
- • da je
- • da smo
Beispiele nach Niveau
Mislim da je on dobar.
I think that he is good.
Mislim da je danas petak.
I think today is Friday.
Mislim da je ovo kava.
I think this is coffee.
Mislim da ona spava.
I think she is sleeping.
Ne mislim da je to skupo.
I don't think that is expensive.
Misliš li da on zna?
Do you think he knows?
Mislim da nećemo zakasniti.
I think we won't be late.
Vjerujem da je on kod kuće.
I believe that he is at home.
Vjerujem da će sutra biti bolje.
I believe that tomorrow will be better.
Mislim da se on boji psa.
I think that he is afraid of the dog.
Pretpostavljam da ste već jeli.
I assume that you have already eaten.
Mislim da bismo trebali krenuti.
I think that we should leave.
Smatram da je ovo rješenje neprihvatljivo.
I consider this solution to be unacceptable.
Smatrate li da je projekt uspješan?
Do you consider the project to be successful?
Mislim da se o tome premalo govori.
I think that too little is said about that.
Smatramo da su promjene nužne.
We consider that changes are necessary.
Držim da je ovakvo ponašanje nedopustivo u javnom prostoru.
I maintain that such behavior is inadmissible in public spaces.
Ne smatram da je autor u potpunosti razumio problematiku.
I do not consider that the author fully understood the issues.
Pretpostavimo li da je to istina, što onda?
If we assume that is true, what then?
Vjerovati je da će se situacija uskoro stabilizirati.
It is to be believed that the situation will stabilize soon.
Smatram shodnim napomenuti da nismo dobili nikakvu obavijest.
I deem it appropriate to note that we received no notification.
Dvojim da će se ikada saznati prava istina o tom događaju.
I doubt that the real truth about that event will ever be known.
Uvjeren sam da je posrijedi nesporazum, a ne zla namjera.
I am convinced that a misunderstanding is at hand, not malice.
Teško je oteti se dojmu da je sve bilo unaprijed isplanirano.
It is hard to escape the impression that everything was planned in advance.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners use 'misliti' for everything, making them sound informal in professional settings.
The reflexive 'smatrati se' means 'to be considered as'.
Sometimes 'što' is used to introduce facts, but 'da' is for opinions.
Häufige Fehler
Mislim on je dobar.
Mislim da je on dobar.
Ja mislim da sunčano.
Mislim da je sunčano.
Mislim da on ne.
Mislim da on nije.
Mislim da on dolazi?
Misliš li da on dolazi?
Mislim da on se zove Ivan.
Mislim da se on zove Ivan.
Ne mislim on dolazi.
Ne mislim da on dolazi.
Mislim da on je ovdje.
Mislim da je on ovdje.
Vjerujem da on bi došao.
Vjerujem da bi on došao.
Smatram da on pametan.
Smatram da je on pametan.
Mislim da ga vidim.
Mislim da ga vidim.
Smatram da je to bitno, no ne mislim da je to istina.
Smatram da je to bitno, no ne mislim da je to istina.
Satzmuster
Mislim da je ___.
Smatram da bi se ___ trebalo promijeniti.
Vjerujem da će ___.
Ne mislim da ___ može ___.
Real World Usage
Smatram da su moje vještine idealne za ovu poziciju.
Mislim da ću zakasniti 5 minuta.
Mislim da se o ovome ne priča dovoljno.
Smatramo da rezultati istraživanja potvrđuju hipotezu.
Mislim da sam naručio pivo, a ne sok.
Mislim da mi je temperatura porasla.
The Clitic Magnet
Don't Drop the 'Da'
Softening Disagreement
Smatrati + Za
Smart Tips
Swap every 'Mislim da' with 'Smatram da'. It instantly elevates your register.
Glue them to 'da'. Think of 'da-se' or 'da-je' as a single word.
Negate the 'mislim' part, not the second part. It sounds softer.
Always remember to include 'da je' or 'da su'.
Aussprache
The 'da' connection
The word 'da' is usually unstressed and leans on the following word. There is no pause before 'da'.
Clitic stress
Clitics following 'da' are never stressed. The stress falls on the first full word of the subordinate clause or the verb.
Opinion Rise-Fall
Mislim da je ↗DObro. ↘
A standard statement of opinion with focus on the adjective.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Think of 'DA' as the 'Doorway' to your thoughts—you can't enter the opinion without opening the door.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a bridge connecting your head (the verb 'mislim') to a cloud containing your thought. The bridge is labeled 'DA'. If the bridge breaks, the thought falls away.
Rhyme
Kad misliš i smatraš, 'da' ne zaboravljaš!
Story
Marko is a judge. When he is at home, he says 'Mislim da je juha slana' (I think the soup is salty). When he is at work, he puts on his robe and says 'Smatram da je optuženik kriv' (I consider the defendant guilty). He always uses 'da' because he is a very precise man.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Write 3 sentences about your favorite movie: one using 'Mislim da', one using 'Smatram da', and one using 'Vjerujem da'.
Kulturelle Hinweise
In formal settings, 'Smatrati' is the gold standard for expressing professional opinions. Using 'Misliti' too much can make you sound less authoritative.
In coastal regions, you might hear 'Mislin' instead of 'Mislim'. The 'm' changes to 'n'.
Speakers often use 'Brijem da' as a slang alternative to 'Mislim da'. It comes from 'brijati' (to shave/to hallucinate/to vibe).
The verb 'misliti' comes from the Proto-Slavic *mysliti, related to the noun *myslь (thought).
Gesprächseinstiege
Što misliš o novom filmu?
Smatrate li da bi radni tjedan trebao trajati četiri dana?
Vjeruješ li da će tehnologija spasiti svijet?
Pretpostavljaš li da će cijene nekretnina pasti?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
Mislim ___ ___ on boji mraka. (that he is [reflexive])
Choose the formal option:
Find and fix the mistake:
Mislim da on je umoran.
Mislim da je ovo važno.
A: Hoće li padati kiša? B: Ne znam, ali ___ da hoće.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
I don't think he is coming.
Smatramo ___ ___ promjene nužne.
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesMislim ___ ___ on boji mraka. (that he is [reflexive])
Choose the formal option:
Find and fix the mistake:
Mislim da on je umoran.
Mislim da je ovo važno.
A: Hoće li padati kiša? B: Ne znam, ali ___ da hoće.
1. Smatrati, 2. Misliti, 3. Vjerovati
I don't think he is coming.
Smatramo ___ ___ promjene nužne.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No. Unlike English, where 'that' is optional, 'da' is grammatically required to connect the opinion verb to the clause.
'Mislim da' is for general, everyday thoughts. 'Smatram da' is for formal, evaluated opinions or professional stances.
Clitics (like `se`, `je`, `mi`) must go immediately after the word `da`.
No, it is very common for expressing personal hope or strong conviction, similar to 'I believe that' in English.
Yes, but you usually need the preposition 'za', e.g., `Smatram ga za prijatelja` or `Smatram ga prijateljem`.
Use `Što smatrate o...?` or `Kakvo je Vaše mišljenje o...?`
No, the verb in the second clause stays in the indicative (normal) form.
It is a very common urban slang in Zagreb meaning 'I think/vibe that'. Avoid it in formal writing!
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
I think that...
Mandatory 'da' in Croatian vs. optional 'that' in English.
Ich glaube, dass...
German moves the verb to the end; Croatian moves clitics to the front of the sub-clause.
Creo que...
Spanish uses subjunctive for doubt; Croatian uses indicative.
Je pense que...
French subjunctive usage in negative/interrogative forms.
...to omoimasu
Word order: Croatian is Verb-First, Japanese is Verb-Last.
A'taqidu anna...
Arabic 'anna' affects noun cases; Croatian 'da' does not.
Wǒ juédé...
Chinese has no equivalent to the conjunction 'da'.
