Accusative Endings for Masculine Animate Nouns
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
When a masculine noun is a living person or animal and is the direct object, add -a to the end.
- If the noun ends in a consonant, add -a (e.g., pas -> psa).
- If the noun ends in -o or -e, change it to -a (e.g., kolega -> kolegu - wait, actually keep the -a for animate).
- Always use this for people and animals you are interacting with or seeing.
Accusative Animate Formation
| Nominative | Accusative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
|
pas
|
psa
|
dog
|
|
prijatelj
|
prijatelja
|
friend
|
|
brat
|
brata
|
brother
|
|
čovjek
|
čovjeka
|
man
|
|
doktor
|
doktora
|
doctor
|
|
vuk
|
vuka
|
wolf
|
Meanings
The Accusative case marks the direct object of a sentence. For masculine animate nouns, this requires a specific suffix to distinguish them from inanimate objects.
Direct Object
The person or animal receiving the action.
“Vidim prijatelja.”
“Tražim brata.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subj + Verb + Noun-a
|
Vidim psa.
|
|
Negative
|
Subj + ne + Verb + Noun-a
|
Ne vidim psa.
|
|
Question
|
Vidim li + Noun-a?
|
Vidim li psa?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Da, vidim ga.
|
Yes, I see him.
|
Espectro de formalidade
Vidim prijatelja. (Social)
Vidim prijatelja. (Social)
Vidim frenda. (Social)
Vidim frenda. (Social)
Animate vs Inanimate
Animate
- pas dog
Inanimate
- stol table
Exemplos por nível
Vidim psa.
I see the dog.
Tražim svog brata.
I am looking for my brother.
Poznajem tog čovjeka.
I know that man.
Vidim učitelja.
I see the teacher.
Sreo sam prijatelja u gradu.
I met a friend in the city.
Tražim doktora koji govori hrvatski.
I am looking for a doctor who speaks Croatian.
Vidim vuka u šumi.
I see a wolf in the forest.
Fácil de confundir
They look the same for animate nouns.
Erros comuns
Vidim pas.
Vidim psa.
Vidim stol-a.
Vidim stol.
Vidim kolegu-a.
Vidim kolegu.
Vidim vuk.
Vidim vuka.
Padrões de frases
Vidim ___.
Real World Usage
Vidim frenda!
Animate check
Smart Tips
Think of the person.
Pronúncia
Ending -a
Pronounced as a short 'ah'.
Statement
Vidim psa.
Falling intonation.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Animate 'A' — if it's alive, add an A!
Associação visual
Imagine a dog (pas) wearing a giant letter 'A' as a collar.
Rhyme
If it's a man or a pet, add an A, don't forget!
Story
I went to the park and saw a dog. I called out 'psa!'. Then I saw my brother and called 'brata!'. Everyone was happy.
Word Web
Desafio
Write 5 sentences about people you see today using the Accusative.
Notas culturais
Using the correct case is a sign of respect for the language.
Derived from Proto-Slavic.
Iniciadores de conversa
Koga vidiš?
Temas para diário
Erros comuns
Test Yourself
Vidim ___ (pas).
Score: /1
Exercicios praticos
1 exercisesVidim ___ (pas).
Score: /1
Perguntas frequentes (1)
It's the standard animate ending.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Accusative
Croatian changes the noun ending.
COD
No case endings.
Personal A
It's a preposition, not a suffix.
O-particle
Post-positional particle.
Mansoub
Vowel changes.
SVO
No inflection.
