Nominative Plural Endings for Adjectives
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Croatian, adjectives must match the gender and number of the noun they describe, even in the plural.
- Masculine nouns take -i (e.g., 'dobri prijatelji').
- Feminine nouns take -e (e.g., 'dobre prijateljice').
- Neuter nouns take -a (e.g., 'dobra djeca').
Nominative Plural Adjective Endings
| Gender | Singular Ending | Plural Ending | Example (Plural) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Masculine
|
-i
|
-i
|
dobri prijatelji
|
|
Feminine
|
-a
|
-e
|
dobre žene
|
|
Neuter
|
-o
|
-a
|
dobra djeca
|
Meanings
This rule governs how adjectives change their endings to agree with plural nouns in the Nominative case.
Masculine Plural
Used for groups of men or mixed-gender groups.
“Stari prijatelji su ovdje.”
“Visoki dečki igraju.”
Feminine Plural
Used for groups of women or feminine objects.
“Lijepe žene plešu.”
“Male mačke spavaju.”
Neuter Plural
Used for groups of neuter nouns.
“Velika sela su daleko.”
“Mala djeca se igraju.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Adj(pl) + Noun(pl)
|
Mali psi
|
|
Negative
|
Nisu + Adj(pl) + Noun(pl)
|
Nisu mali psi
|
|
Question
|
Jesu li + Adj(pl) + Noun(pl)?
|
Jesu li mali psi?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Jesu / Nisu
|
Jesu.
|
|
Variation
|
Noun(pl) + Adj(pl)
|
Psi mali
|
|
Emphasis
|
Adj(pl) + Noun(pl)
|
Mali, mali psi
|
Espectro de formalidade
Prijatelji su dobri. (Social)
Dobri su prijatelji. (Social)
Dobri frendovi. (Social)
Dobra ekipa. (Social)
Adjective Agreement Map
Masculine
- dobri good
Feminine
- dobre good
Neuter
- dobra good
Singular vs Plural Endings
Exemplos por nível
Mali psi trče.
Small dogs run.
Lijepe žene plešu.
Beautiful women dance.
Nova auta su brza.
New cars are fast.
Dobri prijatelji su ovdje.
Good friends are here.
Visoki dečki igraju nogomet.
Tall boys play soccer.
Zanimljive knjige su na stolu.
Interesting books are on the table.
Mala djeca se igraju vani.
Small children are playing outside.
Stari prijatelji pričaju.
Old friends are talking.
Plave oči su lijepe.
Blue eyes are beautiful.
Velika sela su daleko.
Big villages are far.
Brzi auti su opasni.
Fast cars are dangerous.
Pametne studentice uče.
Smart students are studying.
Skupi hoteli su puni.
Expensive hotels are full.
Duge zime su teške.
Long winters are hard.
Bijela polja su mirna.
White fields are peaceful.
Mladi ljudi putuju svijetom.
Young people travel the world.
Guste šume pokrivaju planine.
Dense forests cover the mountains.
Sretna djeca trče poljem.
Happy children run through the field.
Stari gradovi čuvaju tajne.
Old cities keep secrets.
Glasne ptice pjevaju ujutro.
Loud birds sing in the morning.
Duboke vode kriju mnoge istine.
Deep waters hide many truths.
Vrijedna djela ostaju zauvijek.
Valuable works remain forever.
Hladne zime donose tišinu.
Cold winters bring silence.
Mudra bića znaju put.
Wise beings know the way.
Fácil de confundir
Learners often use singular endings for plural nouns.
Both can end in -a in some cases.
Both can end in -e in some cases.
Erros comuns
dobar prijatelji
dobri prijatelji
dobra prijatelji
dobri prijatelji
dobri žene
dobre žene
dobri djeca
dobra djeca
veliki kuće
velike kuće
mala psi
mali psi
stare prijatelji
stari prijatelji
brze auti
brzi auti
lijepa sela
lijepa sela
pametni studentice
pametne studentice
duge zime
duge zime
hladni zime
hladne zime
mudri bića
mudra bića
vrijedni djela
vrijedna djela
Padrões de frases
___ su ___.
Ovo su ___ ___.
Jesu li ___ ___?
Nisu ___ ___.
Real World Usage
Dobri frendovi!
Lijepe slike!
Mladi ljudi su spremni.
Skupi hoteli.
Brzi obroci.
Pametni učenici.
Gender First
Don't Guess
Practice Daily
Be Confident
Smart Tips
Check the noun gender first.
Think of the I-E-A rule.
Double check your endings.
Don't worry about speed.
Pronúncia
Vowel Length
The endings -i, -e, -a are short and clear.
Declarative
Dobri su prijatelji. ↘
Stating a fact.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Remember the 'IEA' sequence: I for men, E for women, A for neuter things.
Associação visual
Imagine a group of men wearing 'I' shirts, women wearing 'E' shirts, and children playing with 'A' blocks.
Rhyme
Men take I, women take E, neuter takes A, as you can see!
Story
Three groups are at a party. The men (I) are drinking coffee. The women (E) are dancing. The children (A) are eating cake. Everyone is happy.
Word Web
Desafio
Look around your room and describe 3 groups of objects using the correct plural adjective endings.
Notas culturais
Croatians value correct grammar, but are forgiving to learners.
Derived from Proto-Slavic adjective declensions.
Iniciadores de conversa
Jesu li tvoji prijatelji dobri?
Jesu li ove knjige zanimljive?
Jesu li tvoji auti brzi?
Jesu li ova sela lijepa?
Temas para diário
Erros comuns
Test Yourself
___ prijatelji su ovdje.
___ žene plešu.
Find and fix the mistake:
Mali djeca se igraju.
Dobar pas -> ___ psi.
Adjectives in Croatian don't change.
A: Jesu li auti brzi? B: Da, ___ su.
prijatelji / su / dobri
Sort: dobri, dobre, dobra
Score: /8
Exercicios praticos
8 exercises___ prijatelji su ovdje.
___ žene plešu.
Find and fix the mistake:
Mali djeca se igraju.
Dobar pas -> ___ psi.
Adjectives in Croatian don't change.
A: Jesu li auti brzi? B: Da, ___ su.
prijatelji / su / dobri
Sort: dobri, dobre, dobra
Score: /8
Perguntas frequentes (8)
To show agreement with the noun.
Check the noun ending.
Yes, it is required.
Using singular endings.
Croatian has three genders.
No, it's very consistent.
Yes, it's mandatory.
Very few in the nominative.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Concordancia
Croatian has three genders.
Accord
Croatian endings are pronounced.
Deklination
Croatian is more consistent in the nominative.
None
Japanese has no agreement.
Tabaq
Croatian has a simpler plural system.
None
Chinese is analytic.
