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Marcel Grdinić
To ask “Do you have brothers?” In Croatian one would say “Imate li brace. However, I read an article online that had the following: : “...zasto je super imati bracu i sestre.” Why brace in the first case but bracu in the second?? Hvala.
Mar 30, 2021 4:36 PM
Answers · 4
1
Unlike english, croatian have 7 cases and english only 3. So when you incline cases in croatian it goes like this: Nominativ: BRAĆA Genitiv: BRAĆE Dativ: BRAĆI Akuzativ: BRAĆU Vokativ: BRAĆO Lokativ: BRAĆI Instrumental: BRAĆOM That is why you will ask: Imaš li braće? But you will answer: Imam braću.
April 12, 2021
1
Bracu is plural.
March 30, 2021
Dear Marcel, Imam braću is correct because with the Croatian verb to have-imati there is a direct object in the accusative case. The accusative is braću (this is an ending that feminine singular nouns get in Croatian). It is like that with braća because - even though the noun braća means plural in grammatical point of view it is declined just like an ordinary feminine singular Croatian noun. Braća is a so-called collective noun. Here is a very good article that might come in handy in your future encounters with Croatian collective nouns: http://www.easy-croatian.com/2014/11/49.html?m=1 Best regards, Barbara :)
April 28, 2021
Should I then say “Imam bracu” to say “I have brothers” or “Imam brace”? I asked others earlier and they said to say Imam brace for I have brothers (plural)
March 30, 2021
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