A1 Case System 1 min read Facile

Accusative Case for Direct Objects (Koga? Što?)

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

The Accusative case marks the direct object—the thing receiving the action—by changing the noun's ending.

  • Use Accusative for direct objects: 'Vidim auto' (I see a car).
  • Most masculine inanimate nouns stay the same: 'Pijem sok' (I drink juice).
  • Feminine nouns ending in -a change to -u: 'Imam knjigu' (I have a book).
Subject + Verb + Object(Accusative)

Accusative Singular Endings

Gender Nominative Accusative Example
Masculine (inanimate)
auto
auto
Vidim auto
Masculine (animate)
prijatelj
prijatelja
Vidim prijatelja
Feminine
knjiga
knjigu
Čitam knjigu
Neuter
pismo
pismo
Pišem pismo

Meanings

The Accusative case identifies the direct object of a transitive verb, answering the questions 'Koga?' (Whom?) or 'Što?' (What?).

1

Direct Object

The entity directly affected by the verb's action.

“Pijem kavu.”

“Gledam film.”

2

Direction/Movement

Used with prepositions like 'u' or 'na' to indicate destination.

“Idem u školu.”

“Putujem na more.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Accusative Case for Direct Objects (Koga? Što?)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Subj + Verb + Acc
Imam knjigu.
Negative
Subj + ne + Verb + Gen
Nemam knjige.
Question
Verb + Subj + Acc?
Čitaš li knjigu?
Short Answer
Da/Ne + Verb + Acc
Da, čitam knjigu.
Movement
Verb + u/na + Acc
Idem u školu.
Animate
Subj + Verb + Acc(Gen)
Vidim brata.

Spectre de formalité

Formel
Želio bih kavu.

Želio bih kavu. (Ordering in a cafe)

Neutre
Želim kavu.

Želim kavu. (Ordering in a cafe)

Informel
Hoću kavu.

Hoću kavu. (Ordering in a cafe)

Argot
Daj kavu.

Daj kavu. (Ordering in a cafe)

Accusative Case Map

Akuzativ

Function

  • Direct Object Receives action
  • Destination Movement to

Ending

  • -a to -u Feminine change
  • No change Most others

Exemples par niveau

1

Pijem kavu.

I am drinking coffee.

2

Imam auto.

I have a car.

3

Čitam knjigu.

I am reading a book.

4

Vidim prijatelja.

I see a friend.

1

Idem u školu.

I am going to school.

2

Kupujem kruh.

I am buying bread.

3

Tražim posao.

I am looking for a job.

4

Posjećujem baku.

I am visiting grandma.

1

Putujem na more.

I am traveling to the sea.

2

Ulazim u stan.

I am entering the apartment.

3

Pišem dugačko pismo.

I am writing a long letter.

4

Gledam zanimljiv film.

I am watching an interesting movie.

1

Zaboravio sam ključ.

I forgot the key.

2

Moram popraviti auto.

I must fix the car.

3

Slušam glasnu glazbu.

I am listening to loud music.

4

Planiram putovanje u Zagreb.

I am planning a trip to Zagreb.

1

Uočio sam promjenu u ponašanju.

I noticed a change in behavior.

2

Analiziram složenu situaciju.

I am analyzing a complex situation.

3

Prihvaćam izazov.

I accept the challenge.

4

Očekujem brzu reakciju.

I expect a quick reaction.

1

Sve sam podredio cilju.

I have subordinated everything to the goal.

2

Prepoznao sam suptilnu ironiju.

I recognized the subtle irony.

3

Zadržao sam pravo na odgovor.

I retained the right to reply.

4

Uložio sam napor u projekt.

I invested effort into the project.

Facile à confondre

Accusative Case for Direct Objects (Koga? Što?) vs Locative vs Accusative

Both use prepositions like 'u' and 'na'.

Accusative Case for Direct Objects (Koga? Što?) vs Nominative vs Accusative

Masculine inanimate nouns look the same.

Accusative Case for Direct Objects (Koga? Što?) vs Genitive vs Accusative

Negation changes Accusative to Genitive.

Erreurs courantes

✗

Imam knjiga

✓

Imam knjigu

Feminine nouns ending in -a must change to -u.
✗

Idem škola

✓

Idem u školu

Movement requires a preposition + Accusative.
✗

Vidim auto-a

✓

Vidim auto

Masculine inanimate nouns do not change.
✗

Pijem voda

✓

Pijem vodu

Water is feminine and must change.
✗

Idem u Zagreb-u

✓

Idem u Zagreb

Zagreb is masculine inanimate, no change.
✗

Tražim prijatelj

✓

Tražim prijatelja

Animate masculine nouns take -a.
✗

Gledam na televizija

✓

Gledam televiziju

Direct object doesn't need 'na'.
✗

Nisam vidio knjigu

✓

Nisam vidio knjige

Negation triggers Genitive case.
✗

Idem u gradu

✓

Idem u grad

Locative is for static, Accusative for movement.
✗

Kupio sam kruh-a

✓

Kupio sam kruh

Inanimate masculine doesn't change.
✗

On je učinio usluga

✓

On je učinio uslugu

Direct object must be Accusative.
✗

Sve sam dao prijatelj

✓

Sve sam dao prijatelju

Dative case is needed for indirect objects.
✗

Očekujem odgovor-a

✓

Očekujem odgovor

Inanimate masculine error.

Structures de phrases

Vidim ___.

Idem u ___.

Kupujem ___ za ___.

Tražim ___ jer trebam ___.

Real World Usage

Ordering food constant

Jednu pizzu, molim.

Texting friends very common

Vidimo se u gradu!

Job interviews common

Tražim izazov.

Travel common

Idem na more.

Food delivery apps common

Dodaj salatu u košaricu.

Social media very common

Gledam novi video.

💡

The 'A' Rule

If you are doing an action to something, it's likely Accusative.
⚠️

Negation Trap

If you add 'ne' (not), the Accusative often changes to Genitive.
🎯

Animate Masculine

Remember that masculine people/animals take an -a ending.
💬

Casual Speech

In casual speech, people might drop prepositions, but the case ending remains.

Smart Tips

Always check if it's the object; if so, add -u.

Imam knjiga. → Imam knjigu.

Use 'u' + Accusative for destinations.

Idem u školi. → Idem u školu.

Add -a to masculine nouns for people/animals.

Vidim prijatelj. → Vidim prijatelja.

Switch to Genitive for the object.

Ne vidim knjigu. → Ne vidim knjige.

Prononciation

knji-gu

Vowel length

The -u ending is short and crisp.

Statement

Imam knjigu ↘

Falling intonation for facts.

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Remember: 'A' for Accusative, 'A' for Action! If you do an action to it, use the Accusative.

Association visuelle

Imagine a giant letter 'U' acting as a magnet, pulling the 'a' off feminine words and replacing it with itself.

Rhyme

When you do a thing to a noun, change the ending to a 'u' sound.

Story

Ana (feminine) is holding a book. She is the subject. The book is the object. Because she is holding the book, the book becomes 'knjigu'. Ana walks to the school ('školu').

Word Web

vidimimamkupujemtražimčitampijem

Défi

Look around your room and name 5 things you see using 'Vidim [object]'.

Notes culturelles

The Accusative is the backbone of daily interaction in Zagreb and Split.

Often drops prepositions in casual speech, but keeps the Accusative ending.

Very consistent with standard Accusative forms.

Derived from Proto-Slavic case endings.

Amorces de conversation

“

Što čitaš?

“

Koga tražiš?

“

Što želiš kupiti?

“

Kamo ideš večeras?

Sujets d'écriture

Describe your morning routine using 5 objects.
What did you buy at the market today?
Write about a place you want to visit.
Reflect on a goal you are working toward.

Erreurs courantes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Test Yourself

Complete the sentence: Vidim ___ (knjiga).

Vidim ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: knjigu
Feminine -a becomes -u.
Which is correct? Choix multiple

Idem u ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: školu
Movement to school.
Fix the error: Imam auto-a. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Imam auto-a.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Imam auto
Inanimate masculine doesn't change.
Reorder: knjigu / čitam / ja. Sentence Reorder

Arrange the words in the correct order:

All words placed

Click words above to build the sentence

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Sve su točne
Croatian word order is flexible.
Complete: A: Što piješ? B: Pijem ___. Dialogue Completion

Pijem ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vodu
Voda is feminine.
Build a sentence: kupiti / kruh. Sentence Building

___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kupujem kruh
Inanimate masculine.
Sort by case: auto, knjigu, prijatelja, pismo. Grammar Sorting

Which is Accusative?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Svi
All are Accusative.
Match: 1. Vidim, 2. Idem. Match Pairs

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-B, 2-A
Vidim takes object, Idem takes destination.

Score: /8

Exercices pratiques

8 exercises
Complete the sentence: Vidim ___ (knjiga).

Vidim ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: knjigu
Feminine -a becomes -u.
Which is correct? Choix multiple

Idem u ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: školu
Movement to school.
Fix the error: Imam auto-a. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Imam auto-a.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Imam auto
Inanimate masculine doesn't change.
Reorder: knjigu / čitam / ja. Sentence Reorder

___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Sve su točne
Croatian word order is flexible.
Complete: A: Što piješ? B: Pijem ___. Dialogue Completion

Pijem ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vodu
Voda is feminine.
Build a sentence: kupiti / kruh. Sentence Building

___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kupujem kruh
Inanimate masculine.
Sort by case: auto, knjigu, prijatelja, pismo. Grammar Sorting

Which is Accusative?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Svi
All are Accusative.
Match: 1. Vidim, 2. Idem. Match Pairs

Match with: A. u grad, B. auto.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-B, 2-A
Vidim takes object, Idem takes destination.

Score: /8

FAQ (8)

Yes, all singular feminine nouns ending in -a change to -u.

Plural Accusative is different and usually ends in -e or -a.

Because it is an animate masculine noun.

Yes, for days of the week (e.g., 'u ponedjeljak').

People will understand you, but it will sound unnatural.

Yes, for direct objects like 'Vidim prijatelja'.

Only for inanimate masculine and neuter nouns.

Usually, it changes Accusative to Genitive.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

German high

Akkusativ

Croatian uses noun endings, German uses articles.

Spanish low

Objeto directo

Spanish relies on prepositions, Croatian on morphology.

French low

Complément d'objet direct

French is analytic, Croatian is synthetic.

Japanese moderate

O-particle

Japanese uses a suffix particle, Croatian changes the word itself.

Arabic moderate

Mansoub

Arabic uses diacritics/vowels, Croatian uses suffixes.

Chinese none

SVO order

Chinese has no case system.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Next
Accusative Endings for Masculine Animate Nouns

Related Grammar Rules

A1

Accusative Endings for Masculine Animate Nouns
A1

Nominative Case for Nouns (Nomen)
A1

Accusative Endings for Neuter Nouns
A1

Genitive Endings for Neuter Nouns
A1

Accusative Endings for Feminine Nouns
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