Meaning
Repairing a motor vehicle.
Cultural Background
Car ownership is very high, and people take great pride in their vehicles. 'Popraviti auto' is a common Saturday morning activity in smaller towns. The 'Golf 2' is a legendary car here, known for being easy to 'popraviti' with basic tools. It's a cultural icon of durability. Similar to Croatia, the term 'majstor' is used with high respect. A good majstor who can 'popraviti auto' cheaply is a valuable social contact. Many Croatians working in Germany (Gastarbeiter) are known for bringing high-end cars back home and obsessively maintaining them.
The 'Majstor' Rule
If you go to a mechanic, call him 'Majstore' (vocative) to show respect. It might get you a better price!
Aspect Matters
Don't say 'Ja popravim' if you are currently working on it. You will sound like you're predicting the future.
Meaning
Repairing a motor vehicle.
The 'Majstor' Rule
If you go to a mechanic, call him 'Majstore' (vocative) to show respect. It might get you a better price!
Aspect Matters
Don't say 'Ja popravim' if you are currently working on it. You will sound like you're predicting the future.
Gender of Auto
Even though it ends in 'o', treat 'auto' as a masculine noun. Say 'moj auto', not 'moje auto'.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'popraviti' in the past tense (masculine).
Jučer sam ______ auto.
The past tense for a masculine subject is 'popravio'.
Which sentence is correct for 'I am currently fixing the car'?
Što radiš?
The imperfective 'popravljam' is used for ongoing actions.
Match the Croatian phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
Basic vocabulary related to car repair.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Možete li mi ______ auto? B: Naravno, ostavite ključeve.
In a repair context, 'popraviti' is the logical choice.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesJučer sam ______ auto.
The past tense for a masculine subject is 'popravio'.
Što radiš?
The imperfective 'popravljam' is used for ongoing actions.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Basic vocabulary related to car repair.
A: Možete li mi ______ auto? B: Naravno, ostavite ključeve.
In a repair context, 'popraviti' is the logical choice.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questionsIn standard Croatian, it is masculine (taj auto). In some dialects, you might hear it as neuter, but stick to masculine for exams.
Yes! 'Popraviti kompjuter' is perfectly correct.
'Popraviti' is for when something is broken. 'Servisirati' is for regular check-ups like oil changes.
Say 'Sam sam popravio auto'.
It is neutral. It's fine for both a mechanic and a CEO.
Related Phrases
Srediti auto
similarTo get the car sorted/fixed up
Servisirati auto
specialized formTo service the car
Pokvariti auto
contrastTo break the car
Održavati auto
builds onTo maintain the car
