Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Croatian teen numbers (11-19) follow a simple 'part-on-ten' pattern: [prefix] + na + deset.
- 11 is 'jedanaest' (one-on-ten).
- 12-19 follow the pattern: [number] + na + deset (e.g., 13 = tri + na + deset).
- Note the slight spelling changes: 14 is 'četrnaest' (not četirinaest) and 16 is 'šesnaest' (not šestnaest).
Numbers 11-19 Formation
| Number | Croatian | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
|
11
|
jedanaest
|
one on ten
|
|
12
|
dvanaest
|
two on ten
|
|
13
|
trinaest
|
three on ten
|
|
14
|
četrnaest
|
four on ten
|
|
15
|
petnaest
|
five on ten
|
|
16
|
šesnaest
|
six on ten
|
|
17
|
sedamnaest
|
seven on ten
|
|
18
|
osamnaest
|
eight on ten
|
|
19
|
devetnaest
|
nine on ten
|
Meanings
These are the cardinal numbers used to count objects or express quantity between 11 and 19.
Counting
Used for basic counting of items.
“Imam jedanaest jabuka.”
“Vidim dvanaest ptica.”
Reference Table
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Number + Noun
|
Imam petnaest godina.
|
|
Negative
|
Ne + Verb + Number
|
Nemam petnaest godina.
|
|
Question
|
Number + Noun + Upward Intonation?
|
Imaš li petnaest godina?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Number
|
Petnaest.
|
|
Variation
|
Number + Noun (Genitive)
|
Petnaest jabuka.
|
|
Variation
|
Number + Noun (Genitive)
|
Devetnaest dana.
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
Posjedujem petnaest jabuka. (General)
Imam petnaest jabuka. (General)
Imam petnaest jabuka. (General)
Imam petnaest jabuka. (General)
The Teen Number Tree
Teens
- jedanaest 11
- petnaest 15
- devetnaest 19
수준별 예문
Imam petnaest godina.
I am fifteen years old.
Kupio sam jedanaest jabuka.
I bought eleven apples.
Vidim dvanaest ptica.
I see twelve birds.
Trebam trinaest kuna.
I need thirteen kuna.
U razredu je četrnaest učenika.
There are fourteen students in the classroom.
Šesnaest ljudi čeka u redu.
Sixteen people are waiting in line.
Sedamnaest je sati.
It is seventeen hundred hours (5 PM).
Osamnaest dana je prošlo.
Eighteen days have passed.
Devetnaest godina je prošlo od rata.
Nineteen years have passed since the war.
Imamo jedanaest novih projekata.
We have eleven new projects.
Dvanaest sati rada je previše.
Twelve hours of work is too much.
Trinaest je moj sretan broj.
Thirteen is my lucky number.
Četrnaest članova odbora je glasalo za.
Fourteen board members voted in favor.
Petnaest minuta je dovoljno za pauzu.
Fifteen minutes is enough for a break.
Šesnaest godina iskustva je impresivno.
Sixteen years of experience is impressive.
Sedamnaest stranica izvještaja je spremno.
Seventeen pages of the report are ready.
Osamnaest mjeseci intenzivnog istraživanja je urodilo plodom.
Eighteen months of intensive research bore fruit.
Devetnaest različitih faktora utječe na odluku.
Nineteen different factors influence the decision.
Jedanaest sati leta je bilo iscrpljujuće.
Eleven hours of flight was exhausting.
Dvanaest sudionika je sudjelovalo u debati.
Twelve participants took part in the debate.
Trinaest stoljeća povijesti je utkano u ovaj grad.
Thirteen centuries of history are woven into this city.
Četrnaest varijacija teme je izvedeno na koncertu.
Fourteen variations of the theme were performed at the concert.
Petnaest poglavlja knjige nudi duboku analizu.
Fifteen chapters of the book offer a deep analysis.
Šesnaest godina vladavine je završilo naglo.
Sixteen years of rule ended abruptly.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners mix up the suffixes '-naest' and '-deset'.
Using cardinal numbers where ordinal numbers are needed.
Using nominative instead of genitive for nouns after numbers.
자주 하는 실수
četirinaest
četrnaest
šestnaest
šesnaest
jedan naest
jedanaest
dvanaest jabuka
dvanaest jabuka
petnaestu
petnaest
trinaestu
trinaest
sedamnaestu
sedamnaest
dvanaestu jabuku
dvanaest jabuka
trinaestu knjigu
trinaest knjiga
četrnaestu godinu
četrnaest godina
petnaestu
petnaest
šesnaestu
šesnaest
devetnaestu
devetnaest
문장 패턴
Imam ___ godina.
Kupio sam ___ jabuka.
Čekao sam ___ minuta.
Na sastanku je bilo ___ ljudi.
Real World Usage
Molim petnaest jaja.
Imam osamnaest godina.
Sastanak je u jedanaest.
Danas je moj 19. rođendan!
Imam šesnaest godina iskustva.
Vlak polazi u sedamnaest sati.
The 14/16 rule
Don't split them
Genitive case
24-hour clock
Smart Tips
Remember to drop the extra letter.
Always use the genitive case.
Use the 24-hour clock for formal contexts.
Don't split the number into two words.
발음
Stress
Stress is usually on the first syllable.
Consonant clusters
Ensure clear articulation of 'st' at the end.
Declarative
Imam petnaest. ↘
Falling intonation for statements.
Interrogative
Imaš li petnaest? ↗
Rising intonation for questions.
암기하기
기억법
Think of 'naest' as 'next'—the numbers that come next after ten.
시각적 연상
Imagine a giant number 10 standing in a field, and numbers 1 through 9 climbing onto its shoulders to reach the sky.
Rhyme
Jedanaest, dvanaest, trinaest, četrnaest, petnaest, šesnaest, sedamnaest, osamnaest, devetnaest—all end in 'naest'!
Story
A group of 19 friends went to a party. 11 arrived first, then 12, 13, and 14. By the time 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 arrived, the party was in full swing. They all wore shirts with '-naest' written on the back.
Word Web
챌린지
Count backwards from 19 to 11 out loud in 10 seconds.
문화 노트
Numbers are used in the 24-hour clock format in formal settings.
In some dialects, pronunciation might be faster, but the written form remains standard.
Standard Croatian is used in all formal and most informal settings.
Derived from Proto-Slavic 'na desete', meaning 'on ten'.
대화 시작하기
Koliko imaš godina?
Koliko je sati?
Koliko jabuka želiš?
Koliko ljudi dolazi na zabavu?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
15
14
Find and fix the mistake:
Šestnaest
19 apples
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
17
18
True or False
Score: /8
연습 문제
8 exercises15
14
Find and fix the mistake:
Šestnaest
19 apples
13
17
18
True or False
Score: /8
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
It's a phonetic simplification to make it easier to say.
No, they are invariant.
Use the genitive case.
Yes, especially in formal settings.
The 't' is dropped for easier pronunciation.
Yes, they work for people and things.
No, it's very consistent.
That's an ordinal number, 'jedanaesti'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
elf, zwölf, dreizehn
Croatian is more consistent by using the same suffix for all teens.
onze, douze, treize
Croatian uses a uniform suffix for the entire range.
once, doce, trece
Croatian is perfectly regular from 11-19.
juu-ichi, juu-ni
Croatian uses a suffix, while Japanese uses a prefix.
ahada 'ashar
Croatian is a single word, while Arabic is two words.
shí-yī, shí-èr
Croatian uses a suffix, while Chinese uses a prefix.
