The Full Motion System
Chapter four gave you doći and otići. This lesson finishes the system: the prefixes that move house and translate books, plus the three-verb split English hides inside "take" — carry it, lead them, drive it.
The Second Wave of Prefixes
| Prefix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| pre- | across / over | preseliti se — to move house |
| pro- | through / past | proći — to pass |
| ob(i)- | around / visit | obići baku — to drop in on grandma |
| raz- | apart | razići se — to disperse |
Preselili smo se iz Zagreba u Split.
We moved from Zagreb to Split.
Note: iz + genitive, u + accusative — the whole case system carrying one life decision.
Figurative Riches
The prefixes work overtime beyond physical motion:
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| prevesti knjigu | to translate a book — carry it across languages |
| proći ispit | to pass an exam |
| Vrijeme brzo prolazi. | Time passes quickly. |
| Ekipa se razišla oko ponoći. | The crew dispersed around midnight. |
Carrying: nositi, donijeti, odnijeti
The do-/od- logic from doći/otići, applied to cargo:
| Verb | English |
|---|---|
| nositi | to carry (ongoing) — also: to wear |
| donijeti | to bring here (done) |
| odnijeti | to take away |
Donesi mi kavu — i odnesi smeće, molim te!
Bring me a coffee — and take out the trash, please!
Note: do- toward the speaker, od- away. Domestic life in two prefixes.
Leading and Driving
English "take" hides three Croatian verbs — match the verb to the cargo:
| Croatian | Use for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| nositi | things | Nosim torbu. — I'm carrying a bag. |
| voditi | living beings (own legs) | Vodim psa u park. — I'm taking the dog to the park. |
| voziti | vehicles | Vozim auto. — I'm driving. |
💬 The relocation
Čujem da si se preselila!
I hear you moved!
Jesam — i sve sam sama nosila. Tri kata!
I did — and I carried everything myself. Three floors!
A tko je vozio kombi?
And who drove the van?
Ivan. I doveo je cijelu ekipu da pomogne.
Ivan. And he brought the whole crew over to help.