Giving Advice
Yesterday's conditional immediately earns its keep: trebao bi — you should — is the backbone of all Croatian counsel, from café wisdom to grandmotherly decrees. This lesson tunes your advice from feather-soft to doctor-firm.
You Should: trebao bi
The conditional of trebati + infinitive:
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| Trebao bi više spavati. | You should sleep more. (to a man) |
| Trebala bi otići liječniku. | You should see a doctor. (to a woman) |
| Trebali bismo krenuti. | We should get going. |
The participle agrees with the person being advised — trebao/trebala/trebali, exactly like the past tense.
Rather / Better
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| Radije ostani doma. | Better stay home. (radije + imperative) |
| Bolje ti je otići ranije. | You're better off leaving early. (bolje ti je + infinitive) |
| Na tvom mjestu, ostao bih doma. | In your place, I'd stay home. |
Direct Advice: the Imperative
When the ship is actually sinking, skip the conditional:
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| Odmori se! | Get some rest! |
| Nazovi je! | Call her! |
| Nemoj brinuti! | Don't worry! |
| Uzmite tabletu. | Take a tablet. (the polite -te) |
Formal advising takes savjetovati + dative: «Savjetujem ti da odeš ranije» — I advise you to leave earlier. (That da-clause has different subjects — I advise, you leave — which is exactly when da is correct Croatian; the full rule arrives in the last chapter.)
The Softness Dial
Same advice, four volumes:
| Croatian | Volume |
|---|---|
| Odmori se! | direct |
| Trebao bi se odmoriti. | advisory |
| Radije se odmori. | gentle steer |
| Možda bi se trebao malo odmoriti… | barely audible — maximum politeness |
💬 Agony aunt, Adriatic edition
Umoran sam i boli me glava.
I'm tired and my head aches.
Trebao bi manje raditi. I piti više vode.
You should work less. And drink more water.
Znam, znam…
I know, I know…
Na tvom mjestu, uzeo bih slobodan dan. More je blizu.
In your place, I'd take a day off. The sea is close.
The last line is the most Croatian advice there is: whatever the problem, more je blizu — the sea is close.