Coordinating Conjunctions (i, a, ali, ili)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'i', 'a', 'ali', and 'ili' to glue words and sentences together while showing addition, contrast, or choice.
- Use 'i' for simple addition: 'Kava i čaj' (Coffee and tea).
- Use 'ali' for strong contrast: 'Hladno je, ali sunčano' (It's cold but sunny).
- Always put a comma before 'a' and 'ali' in sentences.
- Use 'ili' for choices: 'Danas ili sutra?' (Today or tomorrow?).
Core Coordinating Conjunctions
| Conjunction | Function | English Equivalent | Comma Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
i
|
Addition / Listing
|
and
|
No (usually)
|
|
a
|
Contrast / Transition
|
and / whereas
|
Yes (always)
|
|
ali
|
Strong Contrast
|
but
|
Yes (always)
|
|
ili
|
Alternative / Choice
|
or
|
No (usually)
|
|
pa
|
Consecutive / Result
|
and then / so
|
Yes (usually)
|
|
te
|
Formal Addition
|
and
|
No
|
Meanings
Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, or independent clauses of equal grammatical rank, establishing relationships of addition, contrast, or alternative.
Sastavni (Additive)
Used to join items or actions that go together or happen simultaneously.
“Kupio sam kruh i mlijeko.”
“Sjedim i razmišljam.”
Suprotni (Adversative - Weak)
Used with 'a' to show a contrast between two different subjects or situations without a direct contradiction.
“Ja sam ovdje, a ti si tamo.”
“On radi, a ona spava.”
Suprotni (Adversative - Strong)
Used with 'ali' to show a direct opposition or an unexpected result.
“Želim ići, ali ne mogu.”
“Skupo je, ali vrijedi.”
Rastavni (Disjunctive)
Used with 'ili' to present a choice between two or more options.
“Želiš li čaj ili kavu?”
“Idemo u kino ili u park.”
Reference Table
| Type | Conjunction | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sastavni (Additive)
|
i
|
Kupio sam kruh i sir.
|
I bought bread and cheese.
|
|
Suprotni (Adversative)
|
a
|
Ja sam ovdje, a ti si tamo.
|
I am here, and you are there.
|
|
Suprotni (Adversative)
|
ali
|
Umoran sam, ali sretan.
|
I am tired, but happy.
|
|
Rastavni (Disjunctive)
|
ili
|
Želiš li sok ili vodu?
|
Do you want juice or water?
|
|
Zaključni (Consecutive)
|
pa
|
Kasno je, pa idem spavati.
|
It's late, so I'm going to sleep.
|
|
Isključni (Exclusive)
|
nego
|
Nije hladno, nego je toplo.
|
It's not cold, but (rather) warm.
|
|
Double (Emphasis)
|
i... i
|
I Marko i Ana su došli.
|
Both Marko and Ana came.
|
|
Double (Choice)
|
ili... ili
|
Ili dođi ili nazovi.
|
Either come or call.
|
औपचारिकता का स्तर
Želim ići, no osjećam umor. (expressing fatigue)
Želim ići, ali sam umoran. (expressing fatigue)
Išao bih, al' sam krepan. (expressing fatigue)
Išo bi, al' sam u banani. (expressing fatigue)
The Four Connectors
Addition
- i and
Contrast
- a whereas
- ali but
Choice
- ili or
i vs. a vs. ali
Which Conjunction to Use?
Are you adding items?
Are you giving a choice?
Is it a strong contradiction?
Punctuation Rules
No Comma
- • i
- • ili
- • te
Always Comma
- • a
- • ali
- • nego
- • već
स्तर के अनुसार उदाहरण
Kruh i mlijeko.
Bread and milk.
Kava ili čaj?
Coffee or tea?
Mama i tata.
Mom and dad.
Jabuka ili kruška?
Apple or pear?
Ja radim, a ti spavaš.
I am working, and you are sleeping.
Želim ići, ali nemam novca.
I want to go, but I don't have money.
On je visok, a ona je niska.
He is tall, and she is short.
Kupio sam auto, ali je star.
I bought a car, but it is old.
Nije samo pametan, nego je i vrijedan.
He is not only smart, but also hardworking.
Možemo ići pješice ili pak uzeti taksi.
We can go on foot or perhaps take a taxi.
Vani je mrak, a ja još nisam gotov.
It's dark outside, and I'm still not finished.
Htio sam te zvati, ali sam zaboravio mobitel.
I wanted to call you, but I forgot my phone.
Iako je padala kiša, ipak smo izašli, a vi ste ostali doma.
Although it was raining, we went out anyway, while you stayed home.
Možete platiti gotovinom, karticom ili pak kriptovalutama.
You can pay with cash, card, or even cryptocurrencies.
On ne samo da ne sluša, nego se i svađa.
Not only does he not listen, but he also argues.
Pokušao je sve, ali bez uspjeha.
He tried everything, but without success.
Niti on zna istinu, niti je želi saznati.
Neither does he know the truth, nor does he want to find it out.
Pitanje je hoćemo li uspjeti ili ćemo pak morati odustati.
The question is whether we will succeed or we will have to give up.
On je, istina, bogat, ali je ujedno i vrlo škrt.
He is, truth be told, rich, but at the same time very stingy.
A što se mene tiče, ja se ne slažem.
And as far as I'm concerned, I don't agree.
Bijaše to vrijeme i nade i očaja.
It was a time of both hope and despair.
Nije on to učinio iz zlobe, već iz čistog neznanja.
He didn't do it out of malice, but rather out of pure ignorance.
Ili ćeš se pokoriti, ili ćeš snositi posljedice.
Either you will submit, or you will bear the consequences.
A on, ni pet ni šest, nego ravno u glavu.
And he, without hesitation, went straight for the head (idiomatic).
आसानी से भ्रमित होने वाले
Learners use 'i' for all 'ands'.
Both mean 'but', but they are used in different sentence structures.
Sometimes learners mix up 'or' and 'and' in fast speech.
सामान्य गलतियाँ
Kava, i čaj.
Kava i čaj.
Pivo ili, vino?
Pivo ili vino?
Ja i on.
On i ja.
Jabuka, kruška.
Jabuka i kruška.
Ja sam visok a ti si nizak.
Ja sam visok, a ti si nizak.
On je pametan i on je dobar.
On je pametan i dobar.
Idem u kino ali nemam kartu.
Idem u kino, ali nemam kartu.
Želiš li kavu a čaj?
Želiš li kavu ili čaj?
Nije crveno ali zeleno.
Nije crveno, nego zeleno.
On je došao i on je donio vino.
On je došao te donio vino.
Ja radim i on spava.
Ja radim, a on spava.
Ili ćeš doći, ili ne.
Ili ćeš doći ili nećeš.
वाक्य संरचनाएँ
Ja volim ___, a moj prijatelj voli ___.
Idem u ___, ali nemam ___.
Hoćeš li ___ ili ___?
Kupio sam ___ i ___.
Real World Usage
Dolazim, ali kasnim 5 minuta.
Želim salatu, ali bez luka.
Govorim engleski i njemački, a učim i hrvatski.
Lijepa slika, a gdje je to snimljeno?
Idite ravno, a onda skrenite lijevo.
Imate li ovo u plavoj ili crvenoj boji?
The 'Whereas' Test
Comma Alert
Double Ili for Emphasis
Politeness with 'i'
Smart Tips
Always use 'a' instead of 'i' to sound like a native speaker.
Pause and make sure you hit the comma key first.
Use a rising intonation on the first item and a falling one on the second after 'ili'.
Use 'i' only between the last two items, and commas for the rest.
उच्चारण
The short 'i'
The conjunction 'i' is very short and often blends with the following word.
The 'a' pause
Because of the mandatory comma, there is usually a slight rhythmic pause before 'a'.
The 'ali' stress
The stress is on the first syllable: 'A-li'.
The 'ili' flow
In questions, the pitch usually rises on the first option and falls after 'ili' on the second.
Choice Intonation
Kava (↑) ili čaj (↓)?
Rising pitch on the first item, falling on the second to indicate a closed choice.
याद करें
स्मृति सहायक
Remember 'A-Ali-Always' — 'A' and 'Ali' ALWAYS need a comma.
दृश्य संबंध
Imagine the comma as a small hook that catches the 'a' in 'a' and 'ali' to stop the sentence from running away. 'i' and 'ili' are smooth and don't need a hook.
Rhyme
Before 'a' and before 'ali', a comma must be there, really!
Story
Marko and Ana (i) went to the store. Marko wanted milk, but (ali) Ana wanted juice. Marko bought milk, whereas (a) Ana bought juice or (ili) maybe water.
Word Web
चैलेंज
Write 4 sentences about your morning routine using each of the 4 conjunctions once. Check your commas!
सांस्कृतिक नोट्स
Strict adherence to comma rules is a sign of education and is expected in all written communication.
In coastal regions, 'ili' is often shortened to 'il' and 'ali' to 'al'.
Speakers often use 'pa' more frequently as a filler word or to start sentences, similar to 'so' in English.
These conjunctions are of Proto-Slavic origin and are shared across almost all Slavic languages with minor variations.
बातचीत की शुरुआत
Voliš li više ljeto ili zimu?
Što si radio jučer? Jesi li bio doma ili si izašao?
Misliš li da je bolje raditi u uredu ili od kuće?
Hrvatska je lijepa, ali je li skupa za turiste?
डायरी विषय
सामान्य गलतियाँ
Test Yourself
Volim jabuke ___ kruške.
Find and fix the mistake:
On je bogat a nesretan.
Ja sam iz Zagreba, ___ on je iz Splita.
Hoćeš li kavu ___ čaj?
Umoran sam, ___ sretan sam.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Konobar: Želite li mineralnu vodu? Gost: Može, ___ s ledom, molim.
i, a, ili, ali
Score: /8
अभ्यास प्रश्न
8 exercisesVolim jabuke ___ kruške.
Find and fix the mistake:
On je bogat a nesretan.
Ja sam iz Zagreba, ___ on je iz Splita.
Hoćeš li kavu ___ čaj?
Umoran sam, ___ sretan sam.
1. i, 2. ili, 3. ali
Konobar: Želite li mineralnu vodu? Gost: Može, ___ s ledom, molim.
i, a, ili, ali
Score: /8
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (8)
Yes, in spoken Croatian and informal writing, starting with `A` is very common to shift the topic or ask a follow-up question, like `A što ti misliš?` (And what do you think?).
Yes, `no` is a more formal and literary version of `ali`. In everyday speech, always use `ali`.
In Croatian grammar, `a` marks a coordination of contrast, which requires a visual break (the comma). `i` marks a simple addition, which is seen as a continuous flow.
Only if it's repeated for emphasis, like `Ili kupi, ili ostavi` (Either buy it, or leave it). In a simple choice like `Kava ili čaj?`, there is no comma.
`te` is another word for 'and'. It is used in formal writing to avoid repeating `i` too many times in one sentence.
Use `niti... niti...`. For example: `Niti pijem, niti pušim` (I neither drink nor smoke).
Not exactly. `pa` implies a sequence or a result (and then / so). `i` is just a list.
Yes! In school, you lose points for missing it, and in professional emails, it makes you look much more competent.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
and, but, or
Croatian has two words for 'and' depending on contrast.
y, pero, o
Spanish lacks the 'a' vs 'i' distinction.
und, aber, oder, sondern
German uses 'sondern' for specific contrasts where Croatian uses 'nego'.
to, soshite, demo, ka
Japanese grammar structure is entirely different (SOV vs SVO).
wa, lakin, aw
Arabic 'wa' is attached to the following word.
hé, dànshì, huòzhě
Chinese conjunctions are restricted by the part of speech they connect.
