Declension of Adjectives (All Genders)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Croatian, adjectives must match their noun in gender, number, and case, changing their endings accordingly.
- Masculine nouns usually take -i (e.g., 'dobar čovjek' -> 'dobri čovjek').
- Feminine nouns usually take -a (e.g., 'lijepa žena').
- Neuter nouns usually take -o or -e (e.g., 'veliko selo').
Nominative Case Adjective Endings
| Gender | Singular Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Masculine
|
-i
|
dobri
|
|
Feminine
|
-a
|
dobra
|
|
Neuter
|
-o/-e
|
dobro
|
Meanings
Adjective declension is the process of modifying the suffix of an adjective to agree with the grammatical gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.
Descriptive agreement
Matching the adjective to the noun's inherent gender.
“On je visok.”
“Ona je visoka.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Adj + Noun
|
Lijepa kuća
|
|
Negative
|
Nije + Adj + Noun
|
Nije lijepa kuća
|
|
Question
|
Je li + Adj + Noun?
|
Je li to lijepa kuća?
|
|
Plural
|
Adj(pl) + Noun(pl)
|
Lijepe kuće
|
Spectre de formalité
Kuća je velika. (Describing property)
Kuća je velika. (Describing property)
Kuća je baš velika. (Describing property)
Kuća je ogromna. (Describing property)
Adjective Agreement Map
Masculine
- dobar good
Feminine
- dobra good
Neuter
- dobro good
Gender Endings
Agreement Decision
What is the noun gender?
Common Adjectives
Size
- • velik
- • mali
- • dug
Quality
- • dobar
- • loš
- • lijep
Exemples par niveau
To je dobar čovjek.
That is a good man.
Ona je lijepa žena.
She is a beautiful woman.
To je veliko selo.
That is a big village.
Imam novi auto.
I have a new car.
Moji prijatelji su pametni.
My friends are smart.
Kupila sam crvenu haljinu.
I bought a red dress.
Vidim visoke ljude.
I see tall people.
Ovo je hladno pivo.
This is cold beer.
Razgovaram s dobrim prijateljem.
I am talking with a good friend.
Tražim novu, modernu kuću.
I am looking for a new, modern house.
Nema boljeg rješenja.
There is no better solution.
Sviđaju mi se ove stare slike.
I like these old pictures.
Unatoč teškim uvjetima, uspjeli smo.
Despite difficult conditions, we succeeded.
On je čovjek širokih pogleda.
He is a man of broad views.
Potrebna nam je hitna intervencija.
We need urgent intervention.
Ovo je rezultat dugogodišnjeg rada.
This is the result of long-term work.
Njegov je stil pisanja izrazito osebujan.
His writing style is distinctly peculiar.
S obzirom na trenutne okolnosti, postupit ćemo oprezno.
Given the current circumstances, we will proceed cautiously.
To je pitanje od presudne važnosti.
That is a question of crucial importance.
Svi su bili zatečeni neočekivanim ishodom.
Everyone was taken aback by the unexpected outcome.
Ovaj arhaični izričaj odiše posebnom elegancijom.
This archaic expression exudes a special elegance.
Njegova je retorika bila lišena ikakvih suvišnih ukrasa.
His rhetoric was devoid of any superfluous ornaments.
Svekoliki napor urodio je plodom.
The total effort bore fruit.
Nije bilo nikakvih naznaka o skorašnjoj promjeni.
There were no indications of an imminent change.
Facile à confondre
Learners often use the neuter adjective as an adverb.
The endings change in the accusative case.
Plural endings look like singular endings.
Erreurs courantes
dobar kuća
dobra kuća
lijepi žena
lijepa žena
velik selo
veliko selo
nova auto
novi auto
dobri ljudi
dobri ljudi
lijepe žene
lijepe žene
velike sela
velika sela
s dobrim prijatelj
s dobrim prijateljem
vidim lijepu ženu
vidim lijepu ženu
bez dobrih ljudi
bez dobrih ljudi
o lijepom gradu
o lijepom gradu
s velikim problem
s velikim problemom
o novom autu
o novom autu
Structures de phrases
Ovo je ___ ___.
Moj ___ ___ je ___.
Vidim ___ ___.
Sviđaju mi se ___ ___.
Real World Usage
Prekrasan dan!
Gdje si, stari prijatelju?
Imam bogato iskustvo.
Tražim jeftin hotel.
Želim hladno pivo.
Ovo je složen problem.
Check the Noun
Don't Guess
Listen to Natives
Regional Differences
Smart Tips
Identify the gender first.
Check your endings.
Slow down to think.
Look for patterns.
Prononciation
Adjective endings
The final vowel should be clear and not swallowed.
Statement
Kuća je velika. ↘
Falling intonation for declarative sentences.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Remember 'I-A-O': I for the guy (masc), A for the lady (fem), O for the thing (neut).
Association visuelle
Imagine a man wearing a shirt with an 'I' on it, a woman with an 'A' necklace, and a box with an 'O' painted on it.
Rhyme
Masc is I, Fem is A, Neuter is O, that's the way!
Story
I met a 'dobri' (good) man, who gave a 'dobra' (good) flower to a 'dobro' (good) child. The endings matched perfectly.
Word Web
Défi
Look around your room and name 5 objects using an adjective + noun (e.g., 'veliki stol').
Notes culturelles
Often uses shorter forms or different vowel shifts.
Standard Croatian is used in media and formal settings.
Tends to be more traditional with endings.
Derived from Proto-Slavic adjectival suffixes.
Amorces de conversation
Kakav je tvoj auto?
Tko je tvoj najbolji prijatelj?
Kako ti se sviđa ovaj novi film?
Što misliš o trenutnoj situaciji?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
To je lijep___ kuća.
On je ___ čovjek.
Find and fix the mistake:
Ona je visok čovjek.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
The new car.
Answer starts with: Nov...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Masculine singular?
A: Kakav je film? B: Film je ___.
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesTo je lijep___ kuća.
On je ___ čovjek.
Find and fix the mistake:
Ona je visok čovjek.
je / lijepa / kuća / to
The new car.
Match: (1) Lijep (2) Lijepa (3) Lijepo
Masculine singular?
A: Kakav je film? B: Film je ___.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
To show agreement with the noun's gender, number, and case.
Check the noun's ending. Consonants are usually masculine, -a is feminine, -o/-e is neuter.
Yes, some nouns have irregular genders, but the adjective endings remain consistent.
Yes, it's essential for clarity.
No, adjectives change based on the case of the noun.
Using the masculine form for everything.
English adjectives don't change; Croatian ones do.
Be polite and use formal address when needed.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Adjektivdeklination
Croatian is more synthetic.
Concordancia
Croatian has cases.
Accord
Croatian is phonetic.
None
No agreement.
Na't
Arabic is Semitic.
None
No inflection.
