Prepositions with Genitive (Origin & Separation)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the Genitive case after prepositions like 'iz' (from) and 's' (from/off) to show origin or separation.
- Use 'iz' for movement out of a place: 'Izlazim iz kuće' (I am leaving the house).
- Use 's' or 'sa' for movement off a surface: 'Silazim s brda' (I am coming down from the hill).
- The noun following these prepositions must end in -a (for masculine/neuter) or -e (for feminine).
Genitive Case Endings (Singular)
| Gender | Nominative | Genitive Ending | Example (Nom -> Gen) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Masculine
|
Zagreb
|
-a
|
Zagreb -> Zagreba
|
|
Neuter
|
More
|
-a
|
More -> Mora
|
|
Feminine
|
Kuća
|
-e
|
Kuća -> Kuće
|
Meanings
These prepositions indicate the point of origin or the act of separating from a location or object.
Origin
Indicating where someone or something comes from.
“Ja sam iz Hrvatske.”
“Vlak dolazi iz Splita.”
Separation
Moving away from a surface or position.
“Silazim s vlaka.”
“Uzmi knjigu sa stola.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subj + iz + Gen
|
Ja sam iz Splita.
|
|
Negative
|
Subj + nije + iz + Gen
|
On nije iz Splita.
|
|
Question
|
Jesi li + iz + Gen?
|
Jesi li iz Splita?
|
|
Surface
|
Subj + sa + Gen
|
Uzmi sa stola.
|
|
Short Answer
|
Iz + Gen
|
Iz Zagreba.
|
|
Plural
|
Subj + iz + Gen Plural
|
Iz gradova.
|
Spectre de formalité
Napuštam prostorije. (Leaving home)
Izlazim iz kuće. (Leaving home)
Idem van iz kuće. (Leaving home)
Palim iz gajbe. (Leaving home)
Genitive Prepositions
Origin
- iz from/out of
Separation
- s/sa from/off
Iz vs Sa
Which preposition?
Is it a container?
Genitive Endings
Masculine
- • Add -a
Neuter
- • Add -a
Feminine
- • Change -a to -e
Exemples par niveau
Ja sam iz Splita.
I am from Split.
Vlak dolazi iz Beča.
The train comes from Vienna.
Uzmi knjigu sa stola.
Take the book off the table.
Izlazim iz kuće.
I am leaving the house.
Ona dolazi iz škole.
She is coming from school.
Makni se s puta.
Move out of the way.
Pismo je iz Amerike.
The letter is from America.
Silazim s brda.
I am coming down from the hill.
Izvadio je novac iz džepa.
He took the money out of his pocket.
Sa zida je pala slika.
A picture fell off the wall.
Dolazim iz tvrtke koja radi softver.
I come from a company that makes software.
Izlaze iz dvorane.
They are leaving the hall.
Izvukao je zaključak iz situacije.
He drew a conclusion from the situation.
Skinuo je kaput sa vješalice.
He took the coat off the hanger.
Izbori dolaze iz naroda.
Elections come from the people.
S police je uzeo knjigu.
He took a book from the shelf.
Iz dubine duše, on je znao istinu.
From the depth of his soul, he knew the truth.
Sa vrha planine puca pogled.
From the top of the mountain, there is a view.
Iz perspektive zakona, to je krivo.
From the perspective of the law, it is wrong.
S neba su padale zvijezde.
From the sky, stars were falling.
Izvire iz tradicije naših predaka.
It stems from the tradition of our ancestors.
Sa svakog aspekta, projekt je uspješan.
From every aspect, the project is successful.
Izlazi iz okvira konvencionalnog.
It goes beyond the framework of the conventional.
S lica mu se čitala tuga.
Sadness could be read from his face.
Facile à confondre
Both mean 'from'.
Both mean 'from/off'.
Both change endings.
Erreurs courantes
iz Zagreb
iz Zagreba
iz stola
sa stola
iz kuća
iz kuće
s stola
sa stola
iz škola
iz škole
sa Zagreb
iz Zagreba
iz more
iz mora
s dvorane
iz dvorane
iz zida
sa zida
sa Zagreba
iz Zagreba
iz vrha
sa vrha
sa dubine
iz dubine
iz neba
s neba
Structures de phrases
Ja sam iz ___.
Uzmi ___ sa stola.
Izlazim iz ___.
Vlak dolazi iz ___.
Real World Usage
Vlak iz Splita kasni.
Izlazim iz stana, vidimo se.
Dolazim iz velike tvrtke.
Makni čašu sa stola.
Pozdrav iz Hrvatske!
Hrana dolazi iz restorana.
The 'sa' rule
Don't forget the ending!
Think of containers
Regional variation
Smart Tips
Think of the word 'from' (iz). It always triggers the -a or -e ending.
Always use 'sa' to avoid a tongue twister.
Ask yourself: am I exiting a space or leaving a surface?
Ensure your Genitive endings are perfect to maintain a professional tone.
Prononciation
The 'sa' rule
Use 'sa' if the next word starts with s, z, š, ž, or a cluster.
Genitive -a
The final 'a' is short and clear.
Statement
Ja sam iz Zagreba. ↘
Falling intonation at the end.
Question
Jesi li iz Zagreba? ↗
Rising intonation at the end.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Iz is for Inside, Sa is for Surface.
Association visuelle
Imagine a person jumping out of a box (Iz) and a cat jumping off a table (Sa).
Rhyme
Iz the box, Sa the table, Genitive is stable.
Story
Marko left his house (iz kuće). He took his keys off the table (sa stola). He walked down from the hill (s brda).
Word Web
Défi
Write 5 sentences today about where you are coming from using 'iz'.
Notes culturelles
People often drop the 'iz' in very casual speech, but you should keep it for clarity.
Standard Croatian is used here; 'iz' is strictly required.
Very similar to standard; focus on clear pronunciation of the Genitive ending.
These prepositions are Proto-Slavic in origin, maintaining their spatial functions for millennia.
Amorces de conversation
Odakle si?
Što uzimaš sa stola?
Izlaziš li iz stana?
Što misliš o ljudima iz tog grada?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
Ja sam iz ___ (Zagreb).
___ stola (off the table).
Find and fix the mistake:
Izlazim iz kuća.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
I am from America.
Answer starts with: a...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
More -> ?
A: Odakle si? B: ___.
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesJa sam iz ___ (Zagreb).
___ stola (off the table).
Find and fix the mistake:
Izlazim iz kuća.
iz / dolazi / Splita / Vlak
I am from America.
1. Iz, 2. Sa
More -> ?
A: Odakle si? B: ___.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
It's the Genitive case ending for masculine nouns.
No, use 'sa' because a table is a surface.
Use 'sa' to make it easier to say.
No, 'od' is for people or general origin.
Yes, in the Genitive case, they all take specific endings.
If you can go inside it (room, city, country), it's a container.
Yes, it is standard in all registers.
Forgetting to change the noun ending.
Scaffolded Practice
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2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
aus / von
German uses Dative case, Croatian uses Genitive.
de
French doesn't use case endings.
de
Spanish lacks case declension.
kara
Japanese is agglutinative, not inflected.
min
Arabic uses prepositions, not case endings.
cóng
Chinese has no inflection.
