Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
To say 'with' in Croatian, use the preposition 's' followed by the noun in the Instrumental case.
- Use 's' + Instrumental case for people: 's prijateljem' (with a friend).
- Use 's' + Instrumental case for objects: 's olovkom' (with a pen).
- If the noun starts with 's', 'š', 'z', or 'ž', use 'sa' to avoid a tongue-twister.
Instrumental Case Endings (Singular)
| Gender | Ending | Example (Nominative) | Example (Instrumental) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Masculine
|
-om/-em
|
prijatelj
|
s prijateljem
|
|
Feminine
|
-om
|
Marija
|
s Marijom
|
|
Neuter
|
-om/-em
|
dijete
|
s djetetom
|
|
Masculine
|
-om
|
stol
|
sa stolom
|
|
Feminine
|
-om
|
žena
|
sa ženom
|
|
Neuter
|
-om
|
more
|
s morem
|
Meanings
The preposition 's' (or 'sa') is used to indicate accompaniment (with someone) or the instrument used to perform an action (with something).
Accompaniment
Being in the company of someone.
“Pijem kavu s Marijom.”
“Šećem s psom.”
Instrument/Tool
Using an object to complete a task.
“Pišem s olovkom.”
“Režem kruh s nožem.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
s + Instrumental
|
Idem s njim.
|
|
Negative
|
ne + verb + s + Instrumental
|
Ne idem s njim.
|
|
Question
|
s + kim/čime + verb?
|
S kim ideš?
|
|
Phonetic Rule
|
sa + s/z/š/ž
|
Sa ženom.
|
|
Tool
|
s + Instrumental
|
Pišem s olovkom.
|
|
Plural
|
s + Instrumental (plural)
|
S prijateljima.
|
正式程度
Idem sa svojim prijateljem. (Social)
Idem s prijateljem. (Social)
Idem s frendom. (Social)
Idem s ekipom. (Social)
The 'With' Concept Map
People
- s prijateljem with a friend
Tools
- s olovkom with a pen
Phonetics
- sa ženom with a woman
按水平分级的例句
Idem s prijateljem.
I am going with a friend.
Pijem kavu s mlijekom.
I am drinking coffee with milk.
Šećem s psom.
I am walking with a dog.
Radim s mamom.
I am working with mom.
Razgovaram s profesorom o ispitu.
I am talking with the professor about the exam.
Pišem s olovkom.
I am writing with a pen.
Idem u kino sa ženom.
I am going to the cinema with the woman.
Putujem s bratom.
I am traveling with my brother.
Slažem se s tvojim mišljenjem.
I agree with your opinion.
On živi s roditeljima u Zagrebu.
He lives with his parents in Zagreb.
Moramo razgovarati sa šefom.
We must talk with the boss.
Slikao sam se s prijateljima.
I took a photo with friends.
Borio se s vjetrom cijeli dan.
He fought with the wind all day.
Surađujemo s tvrtkom iz Njemačke.
We are collaborating with a company from Germany.
Sretan sam sa svojim životom.
I am happy with my life.
Sve je u redu s projektom.
Everything is fine with the project.
Suočio se s problemima s hrabrošću.
He faced the problems with courage.
Sjedim s kolegama za stolom.
I am sitting with colleagues at the table.
Složio se sa svim uvjetima.
He agreed with all the conditions.
Služio se s različitim alatima.
He used various tools.
S obzirom na situaciju, moramo biti oprezni.
Given the situation, we must be careful.
S punim povjerenjem gledam u budućnost.
I look to the future with full confidence.
S vremenom će sve postati jasno.
With time, everything will become clear.
S velikim zadovoljstvom prihvaćam poziv.
I accept the invitation with great pleasure.
容易混淆
Both can follow prepositions.
When to use which.
Using base form after 's'.
常见错误
s prijatelj
s prijateljem
s Marija
s Marijom
sa prijateljem
s prijateljem
s olovka
s olovkom
s ženom
sa ženom
s sestra
sa sestrom
s prijatelji
s prijateljima
s mojim prijatelj
s mojim prijateljem
s tvoja sestra
s tvojom sestrom
s on
s njim
s obzirom na činjenice
s obzirom na činjenice
句型
Idem ___ ___.
Pišem ___ ___.
Razgovaram ___ ___ o poslu.
Zadovoljan sam ___ ___.
Real World Usage
Idem van s ekipom.
Kava s mlijekom, molim.
Radim s kolegama.
Putujem s obitelji.
Učim s prijateljem.
Surađivao sam s timom.
Phonetic Rule
Case Change
Adjectives
Socializing
Smart Tips
Switch 's' to 'sa'.
Use 'sa mnom'.
Use 's njim' or 's njom'.
Use 's prijateljima'.
发音
s vs sa
Use 'sa' before words starting with s, z, š, ž, or clusters.
Statement
Idem s prijateljem. ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
记住它
记忆技巧
S is for Social, Sa is for S-sounds.
视觉联想
Imagine a person holding a pen (s olovkom) while walking with a friend (s prijateljem).
Rhyme
S for friend, Olovkom for pen, add -om to the end, and you're there my friend.
Story
Marko goes to the cafe. He sits with his friend (s prijateljem). He writes a note with a pen (s olovkom). He talks with his wife (sa ženom).
Word Web
挑战
Write 5 sentences about your day using 's' and 'sa' in 5 minutes.
文化笔记
Using 's' is very common in social life. Croatians value coffee culture, so 'kava s mlijekom' is a staple.
The preposition 's' comes from Proto-Slavic *sъ.
对话开场白
S kim ideš u kino?
S čime pišeš?
S kim najviše voliš razgovarati?
Jesi li zadovoljan sa svojim poslom?
日记主题
常见错误
Test Yourself
Idem ___ prijateljem.
Pišem ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Idem s Marija.
s / prijateljem / idem / ja
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Idem ___ ženom.
Slažem se ___ tvojim mišljenjem.
Idem s njim.
Score: /8
练习题
8 exercisesIdem ___ prijateljem.
Pišem ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Idem s Marija.
s / prijateljem / idem / ja
prijatelj -> ?
Idem ___ ženom.
Slažem se ___ tvojim mišljenjem.
Idem s njim.
Score: /8
常见问题 (8)
Use 'sa' before words starting with 's', 'z', 'š', 'ž' to make it easier to say.
Yes, in the context of accompaniment or tools.
The Instrumental case.
No, use the Genitive case for possession.
Yes, it is standard in all registers.
Use 'sa mnom'.
Use 's'.
Sometimes, e.g., 's vremenom' (with time).
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
mit + Dative
German uses Dative, Croatian uses Instrumental.
avec + noun
French has no case system for nouns.
con + noun
Spanish has no case system for nouns.
noun + to
Japanese is a postpositional language.
ma'a + noun
Arabic uses a different root and prepositional system.
gēn + noun
Chinese is an isolating language.
