When you're just starting out in Croatian, learning basic adjectives like mlad (young) is really helpful. Adjectives are words that describe nouns, so they tell you more about people, places, or things. Mlad is an A1 level word, meaning it's one of the first words you'll encounter and use frequently. You'll use it to describe someone's age, like saying 'young man' or 'young woman'.
Like many adjectives in Croatian, mlad will change its ending depending on the gender and number of the noun it's describing. For example, it will look different if you're talking about a young man versus a young woman. Understanding these basic changes, even at an A1 level, sets a good foundation for more complex grammar later on.
When using the adjective "mlad" (young) in Croatian, it's important to remember that adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe.
For example, you would say "mlad muškarac" (a young man), but "mlada žena" (a young woman) and "mlado dijete" (a young child).
In the plural, it becomes "mladi muškarci" (young men) or "mlade žene" (young women).
So, always pay attention to the noun's characteristics when using "mlad" to ensure correct grammatical agreement.
When we refer to someone as mlad, we are saying they are young in age. This adjective can be used for people, animals, or even plants. For example, a mlad čovjek is a young man, and a mlada žena is a young woman. The ending of mlad changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes. You'll hear this word often in everyday conversation.
§ Understanding 'Mlad': Young
- DEFINITION
- The Croatian word 'mlad' directly translates to 'young' in English. It's an adjective, which means its ending will change depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes. For example, if you're talking about a young man, you'd use 'mlad'; for a young woman, 'mlada'; and for young children, 'mladi'. This is a fundamental aspect of Croatian grammar, so pay close attention to how 'mlad' adapts.
§ Basic Examples of 'Mlad'
Let's look at some simple sentences where 'mlad' is used to describe age. These will help you get a feel for its basic usage.
On je jako mlad.
(He is very young.)
Ona je mlada učiteljica.
(She is a young teacher.)
Imamo mlade
(We have young colleagues in the office.)
§ 'Mlad' at Work
In a professional setting, you might use 'mlad' to describe new employees, interns, or anyone who is relatively inexperienced or new to a particular field. It can also refer to the younger generation in the workforce.
- Describing new hires:
Naš novi zaposlenik je vrlo mlad, ali vrlo sposoban.
(Our new employee is very young, but very capable.)
- Referring to a young team:
Imamo mlad i dinamičan tim.
(We have a young and dynamic team.)
§ 'Mlad' in School
In a school environment, 'mlad' is commonly used to refer to students, especially younger ones, or even young teachers. It's a straightforward way to categorize age groups.
- Describing students:
Naši mladi
(Our young students are very curious.)
- Talking about a young teacher:
Nova profesorica je prilično mlada.
(The new professor is quite young.)
§ 'Mlad' in the News
News reports often use 'mlad' when referring to demographics, emerging talents, or victims/perpetrators of crimes who are of a younger age. It helps to quickly convey age information.
- Reporting on young athletes:
Brojni mladi
(Numerous young athletes achieved outstanding results.)
- Referring to a young generation:
Anketa pokazuje da mlada
(The survey shows that the young population wants changes.)
§ Common Phrases with 'Mlad'
Here are a few common phrases and expressions that use 'mlad', which you might hear in everyday conversations:
- 'Mladi par' (young couple):
Mladi par se uselio u susjedstvo.
(A young couple moved into the neighborhood.)
- 'Mlada obitelj' (young family):
To je mlada obitelj s dvoje djece.
(That is a young family with two children.)
§ Practice Using 'Mlad'
The best way to get comfortable with 'mlad' is to use it. Try describing people around you – your friends, colleagues, or even characters in a book or movie. Pay attention to their gender and number, and choose the correct form of 'mlad'.
- Can you describe a young person you know?
- How would you say 'young dog' in Croatian? (Hint: 'pas' is masculine)
§ Mastering 'Mlad' Forms
The Croatian word 'mlad' means 'young'. Like many adjectives in Croatian, its form changes based on the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies. This can be tricky for English speakers, as English adjectives don't change.
Here are the main forms you need to know for 'mlad' in the nominative case (the 'doing' form of a noun):
- Mlad: Masculine singular (e.g., mlad muškarac - a young man)
- Mlada: Feminine singular (e.g., mlada žena - a young woman)
- Mlado: Neuter singular (e.g., mlado dijete - a young child)
- Mladi: Masculine plural (e.g., mladi ljudi - young people)
- Mlade: Feminine plural (e.g., mlade djevojke - young girls)
- Mlada: Neuter plural (e.g., mlada telad - young calves)
§ Mistake 1: Not Matching Gender
A very common error is using the masculine form 'mlad' with feminine or neuter nouns. Remember, Croatian is very strict about adjective-noun agreement.
- Wrong
- Ona je mlad djevojka. (She is a young girl.)
- Correct
- Ona je mlada djevojka. (She is a young girl.)
Djevojka je mlada i lijepa. (The girl is young and beautiful.)
§ Mistake 2: Not Matching Number
Another frequent mistake is using a singular form of 'mlad' with plural nouns, or vice-versa.
- Wrong
- Oni su mlad dečki. (They are young boys.)
- Correct
- Oni su mladi dečki. (They are young boys.)
U parku su bili mnogi mladi ljudi. (There were many young people in the park.)
§ Mistake 3: Forgetting Case Changes
This is where it gets more complex. 'Mlad' will also change its ending depending on the grammatical case. There are seven cases in Croatian, and each affects adjectives. For A1 level, focus on nominative (the 'doer') and perhaps accusative (the 'receiver').
- Nominative (Subject)
- Mlad pas trči. (A young dog is running.)
- Accusative (Direct Object)
- Vidim mladog psa. (I see a young dog.)
Notice how 'mlad' changed to 'mladog' for the masculine noun 'pas' in the accusative case. This is a big hurdle for learners.
§ Common Phrases and Their Forms
Let's look at some correct examples to help solidify your understanding:
- Mlad čovjek (a young man) - Masculine, singular, nominative
- Mlada žena (a young woman) - Feminine, singular, nominative
- Mlado drvo (a young tree) - Neuter, singular, nominative
- Mladi studenti (young students - masculine plural) - Masculine, plural, nominative
- Mlade djevojke (young girls) - Feminine, plural, nominative
On je jako mlad čovjek. (He is a very young man.)
Vidim jednu mladu ženu. (I see a young woman. - accusative case here)
To je mlado drvo. (That is a young tree.)
Na faksu su mnogi mladi studenti. (There are many young students at university.)
U plesnom klubu su samo mlade djevojke. (There are only young girls in the dance club.)
The key to avoiding these mistakes is consistent practice and paying attention to the noun. With time, gender, number, and case agreement will become more intuitive.
How Formal Is It?
"Ona je mlada dama. (She is a young lady.)"
"Moj brat je još mlad. (My brother is still young.)"
"Ma, pusti ga, mlad je još. (Oh, leave him be, he's still young.)"
"Ovaj psić je malen i sladak. (This puppy is tiny and cute.)"
"On je još skroz zelen za taj posao. (He's still completely green/inexperienced for that job.)"
趣味小知识
The root is common across many Slavic languages, and also related to 'mild' in English.
按水平分级的例句
Ja sam mlad.
I am young.
On je mlad.
He is young.
Ona je mlada.
She is young.
Mi smo mladi.
We are young.
Vi ste mladi.
You (plural/formal) are young.
Oni su mladi.
They (masculine/mixed) are young.
Djeca su mlada.
The children are young.
Mlad čovjek.
A young man.
Ona je vrlo mlada.
She is very young.
Feminine singular form of 'mlad' to agree with 'ona' (she).
Moj brat je mlad.
My brother is young.
Masculine singular form of 'mlad' to agree with 'brat' (brother).
Mladi ljudi vole putovati.
Young people love to travel.
Masculine plural form of 'mlad' to agree with 'ljudi' (people).
Imam mladu mačku.
I have a young cat.
Feminine singular accusative form of 'mlad' to agree with 'mačku' (cat, accusative).
To su mlade biljke.
Those are young plants.
Feminine plural form of 'mlad' to agree with 'biljke' (plants).
Oni su mladi studenti.
They are young students.
Masculine plural form of 'mlad' to agree with 'studenti' (students).
Sviđa mi se mlada generacija.
I like the young generation.
Feminine singular form of 'mlad' to agree with 'generacija' (generation).
Kupili smo mlado vino.
We bought young wine.
Neuter singular accusative form of 'mlad' to agree with 'vino' (wine, accusative).
Moja kći je još vrlo mlada, tek je napunila pet godina.
My daughter is still very young, she just turned five years old.
Feminine noun 'kći' requires feminine adjective 'mlada'.
Tražimo mlade i ambiciozne ljude za ovaj projekt.
We are looking for young and ambitious people for this project.
Plural masculine noun 'ljude' (accusative) requires plural masculine adjective 'mlade'.
Iako je mlad, već ima puno iskustva u programiranju.
Although he is young, he already has a lot of experience in programming.
Masculine singular 'mlad' refers to a male subject.
Ova je biljka još mlada, treba joj puno sunca da raste.
This plant is still young, it needs a lot of sun to grow.
Feminine noun 'biljka' requires feminine adjective 'mlada'.
U mladosti sam puno putovao i istraživao svijet.
In my youth, I traveled a lot and explored the world.
Noun 'mladost' (youth) is related to 'mlad'.
Svi su bili iznenađeni koliko je mlada bila dirigentica.
Everyone was surprised how young the conductor (female) was.
Feminine noun 'dirigentica' requires feminine adjective 'mlada'.
Čak i kad je bio mlad, pokazivao je veliki talent za glazbu.
Even when he was young, he showed great talent for music.
Masculine singular 'mlad' refers to a male subject.
Trebali bismo podržati mlade poduzetnike u našoj zajednici.
We should support young entrepreneurs in our community.
Plural masculine noun 'poduzetnike' (accusative) requires plural masculine adjective 'mlade'.
Iako je mlad, već je postigao značajan uspjeh u svojoj karijeri.
Although he is young, he has already achieved significant success in his career.
Here, 'mlad' is in the nominative masculine singular form, agreeing with 'on' (he).
Mlada generacija donosi svježe ideje i perspektive.
The young generation brings fresh ideas and perspectives.
'Mlada' is in the nominative feminine singular, agreeing with 'generacija' (generation).
Uvijek je važno slušati savjete starijih, ali i podržavati mlade.
It is always important to listen to the advice of the elders, but also to support the young.
'Mlade' is in the accusative masculine plural, referring to young people as a group.
Sjećam se kad sam bio mlad, život je bio mnogo jednostavniji.
I remember when I was young, life was much simpler.
'Mlad' is in the nominative masculine singular, agreeing with 'ja' (I) in the past tense.
Ova tvrtka zapošljava mnogo mladih i ambicioznih ljudi.
This company employs many young and ambitious people.
'Mladih' is in the genitive masculine plural, used after 'mnogo' (many).
Mlado voće je često slađe i sočnije.
Young fruit is often sweeter and juicier.
'Mlado' is in the nominative neuter singular, agreeing with 'voće' (fruit).
Unatoč svojoj mladoj dobi, pokazala je izvanrednu zrelost.
Despite her young age, she showed extraordinary maturity.
'Mladoj' is in the dative feminine singular, used with 'dobi' (age).
Novi planovi su namijenjeni mladima kako bi im se olakšalo pokretanje posla.
The new plans are intended for young people to make it easier for them to start a business.
'Mladima' is in the dative plural, indicating the beneficiaries of the plans.
常见搭配
常用短语
On je mlad.
He is young.
Ona je mlada.
She is young.
Oni su mladi.
They are young (masculine/mixed).
Ove su mlade.
These (females) are young.
Ja sam mlad.
I am young (masculine).
Ja sam mlada.
I am young (feminine).
Volim mlade ljude.
I like young people.
On izgleda mlad za svoje godine.
He looks young for his age.
Kada si bio mlad?
When were you young?
To je mlad grad.
It is a young city (recently developed).
容易混淆的词
This is a noun meaning 'young man' or 'youth.' It's related to 'mlad' but is a person, not an adjective.
This is a noun meaning 'youth' (the period of being young). It's the state of being 'mlad'.
This is a noun meaning 'sapling' or 'young plant.' It refers to something young in the botanical sense.
容易混淆
Sounds like the English 'star,' but means 'old.'
'Mlad' means young, 'star' means old.
On je mlad. (He is young.) Ona je stara. (She is old.)
Often associated with newness, which can be confused with youth in some contexts.
'Mlad' refers to age (young), 'nov' refers to newness (new, not old).
Ovo je mlad pas. (This is a young dog.) Ovo je novi auto. (This is a new car.)
Both 'mlad' and 'malen' can describe something small in stature, but 'malen' refers to physical size, not age.
'Mlad' is about age, 'malen' is about size.
On je mlad. (He is young.) On je malen. (He is small.)
A 'dijete' (child) is by definition young, but 'mlad' is an adjective describing youth, while 'dijete' is a noun for a young person.
'Mlad' is an adjective (young), 'dijete' is a noun (child).
On je mlad. (He is young.) On je dijete. (He is a child.)
A 'tinejdžer' (teenager) is also young, but like 'dijete,' it's a specific age group noun, not a general adjective for youth.
'Mlad' is a general adjective for young, 'tinejdžer' is a noun for a specific young age group.
On je mlad. (He is young.) On je tinejdžer. (He is a teenager.)
小贴士
Gender matters for 'mlad'
Like many Croatian adjectives, 'mlad' changes based on the gender of the noun it describes. Think of it like 'young man' vs. 'young woman'.
Forms of 'mlad'
Here are the basic forms:
- Mlad (masculine singular): 'mlad muškarac' (young man)
- Mlada (feminine singular): 'mlada žena' (young woman)
- Mlado (neuter singular): 'mlado dijete' (young child)
Use it to describe age
The primary use of 'mlad' is to describe someone or something that is young in age. It's straightforward.
Not just for people
While often used for people, 'mlad' can also describe animals or plants. For example, 'mlado drvo' (young tree).
Opposite of 'star'
The antonym (opposite) of 'mlad' is 'star', meaning 'old'. Learning opposites can help solidify vocabulary.
Practice with simple sentences
Try making simple sentences:
- 'On je mlad.' (He is young.)
- 'Ona je mlada.' (She is young.)
- 'To je mlado.' (It is young.)
Don't confuse with 'mali'
Be careful not to confuse 'mlad' (young) with 'mali' (small). While a young person might be small, they are distinct concepts.
Listen for it
Pay attention to how native speakers use 'mlad' in conversations, movies, or songs. This helps with natural usage.
Plural forms of 'mlad'
Just like singular, plural forms also change:
- Mladi (masculine plural): 'mladi muškarci' (young men)
- Mlade (feminine plural): 'mlade žene' (young women)
- Mlada (neuter plural): 'mlada djeca' (young children)
Adverb form 'mlado'
The adverb form is also 'mlado', meaning 'youngly' or 'in a young manner'. For example, 'On se ponaša mlado.' (He behaves young/youthfully.)
词源
Proto-Slavic *moldъ
原始含义： soft, tender
Indo-European (Balto-Slavic branch)文化背景
In Croatian culture, 'mlad' often carries connotations of new beginnings, freshness, and potential. It can also be used endearingly, similar to how 'young one' might be used in English.
自我测试 30 个问题
Ona je jako ___.
The adjective 'mlada' (young) agrees in gender with 'ona' (she).
On je ___ čovjek.
The adjective 'mlad' (young) agrees in gender with 'čovjek' (man).
Mi smo ___.
The adjective 'mladi' (young) agrees in gender and number with 'mi' (we, masculine plural or mixed plural).
Oni su ___.
The adjective 'mladi' (young) agrees in gender and number with 'oni' (they, masculine plural).
Jeste li ___?
When addressing a group (plural 'vi'), the adjective 'mladi' is used.
Dijete je ___.
The adjective 'mlado' (young) agrees in gender with 'dijete' (child), which is neuter.
She is a young teacher.
I have a young brother.
That is a very young dog.
Read this aloud:
On je mlad dečko.
Focus: mlad
你说的：
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Read this aloud:
Imate li mladu sestru?
Focus: mladu
你说的：
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Read this aloud:
Jesu li oni mladi ljudi?
Focus: mladi
你说的：
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This translates to 'He is young'. In Croatian, the subject 'On' (He) comes first, followed by the verb 'je' (is), and then the adjective 'mlad' (young).
This means 'She is very young'. 'Ona' (She) is the subject, 'je' (is) is the verb, 'vrlo' (very) is an adverb modifying the adjective 'mlada' (young), which is in the feminine form to agree with 'Ona'.
This translates to 'They are young'. 'Oni' (They - masculine plural) is the subject, 'su' (are) is the verb, and 'mladi' (young - masculine plural) is the adjective, agreeing with 'Oni'.
The best time of life.
Too young for that job.
Young lettuce from the market.
Read this aloud:
Bila je vrlo mlada kad se udala.
Focus: mlada
你说的：
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Read this aloud:
Mladi ljudi često imaju puno energije.
Focus: Mladi
你说的：
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Read this aloud:
Tražimo mlade i ambiciozne zaposlenike.
Focus: mlade
你说的：
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Koji pridjev najbolje opisuje osobu u ranim fazama života, punu vitalnosti i potencijala?
Mlad se odnosi na nekoga tko je u ranim fazama života, često povezan s vitalnošću i neiskustvom.
U kontekstu razgovora o novim idejama i trendovima, koji bi se pridjev mogao koristiti za opis nečeg svježeg i inovativnog?
Mlado se metaforički može koristiti za opis nečeg novog, svježeg i inovativnog, što je u ranim fazama razvoja ili popularnosti.
Koja je antonimna riječ za 'mlad' kada govorimo o dobi?
Antonnim za 'mlad' je 'star', što se odnosi na poodmaklu dob.
Izraz 'mladi duh' uvijek se odnosi na osobu koja je fizički mlada.
'Mladi duh' je metafora koja opisuje nekoga tko, bez obzira na fizičku dob, ima entuzijazam, otvorenost i energiju karakterističnu za mlade ljude.
U hrvatskom jeziku, 'mlad' se može koristiti za opisati i mlade biljke, životinje ili čak organizacije koje su tek osnovane.
Da, 'mlad' je svestran pridjev koji se koristi za označavanje neiskustva, novosti ili rane faze razvoja u raznim kontekstima, uključujući i nežive stvari.
Pridjev 'mlad' u rečenici 'Ona je mladog duha' implicira da je osoba fizički adolescent.
Ne, 'mladog duha' se odnosi na nečiju energiju i stav, a ne na fizičku dob. Osoba može biti starija, ali imati 'mladi duh'.
/ 30 correct
Perfect score!
Gender matters for 'mlad'
Like many Croatian adjectives, 'mlad' changes based on the gender of the noun it describes. Think of it like 'young man' vs. 'young woman'.
Forms of 'mlad'
Here are the basic forms:
- Mlad (masculine singular): 'mlad muškarac' (young man)
- Mlada (feminine singular): 'mlada žena' (young woman)
- Mlado (neuter singular): 'mlado dijete' (young child)
Use it to describe age
The primary use of 'mlad' is to describe someone or something that is young in age. It's straightforward.
Not just for people
While often used for people, 'mlad' can also describe animals or plants. For example, 'mlado drvo' (young tree).
