Feelings & Reactions
Emotions in Croatian come with case government — each feeling verb chooses its case the way people choose their moods. Three patterns cover nearly everything, and one of them produces the most beautiful sentence in the language.
Looking Forward — with the Dative
veseliti se + dative — the happiest verb in Croatian:
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| Veselim se ljetu! | I can't wait for summer! |
| Veselim se vikendu. | I'm looking forward to the weekend. |
| Veselim se kavi s tobom. | I'm looking forward to coffee with you. |
Fear — with the Genitive
bojati se + genitive:
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| Bojim se mraka. | I'm afraid of the dark. |
| Boji se visine. | She's afraid of heights. |
| Ne boj se! | Don't be afraid! |
Missing — the Flipped Verb
nedostajati flips English on its head: the missed one is the subject, and you are the dative it's missing to:
Nedostaješ mi.
I miss you.
Note: Literally: you-are-lacking to-me. The missed person does the grammar; the missing heart takes the dative.
Nedostaje mi more.
I miss the sea.
Note: Said by every Croatian who has ever moved inland, within the first ten minutes.
Proud, Worried, Sorry
| Croatian | Government |
|---|---|
| Ponosna sam na tebe. | ponosan na + accusative — proud of |
| Zabrinut je za ispit. | zabrinut za + accusative — worried about |
| Žao mi je. | dative — I'm sorry (it's-sorrowful to-me) |
| Drago mi je zbog tebe. | zbog + genitive — happy for you |
Reacting
The rapid-response kit:
| Croatian | When |
|---|---|
| Super! Odlično! | good news |
| Šteta. | a pity |
| Ma daj?! | disbelief — no way?! |
| Žao mi je. | sympathy |
💬 A letter home, spoken
Veselim se ljetu — dolazi mi sestra iz Dublina!
I can't wait for summer — my sister's coming from Dublin!
Super! A nedostaje li ti Irska?
Great! And do you miss Ireland?
Nedostaju mi ljudi. Ali kad sam tamo — nedostaje mi more.
I miss the people. But when I'm there — I miss the sea.
E, sad si prava Dalmatinka.
Well, now you're a real Dalmatian.