EasyCroatian_r47.an

Easy Croaan (rev. 47b) / 45 Quanes and Existence 265 / 600
chapters.)
There’s another word reused to express small and indefinite quantities, like English
some:
nešto some (adverb) ®
The word nešto does not change in case when in this role, and behaves like malo,
but it emphasizes that the quantity is small and not really known. It can be used with
both countable and uncountable nouns:
Imam nešto kave G . (G) I have some coffee.
Imam nešto limuna G . (G-pl) I have few lemons.
Next, we’re able to express existence of any, usually indefinite amount of something
(e.g. there are some apples). While English uses dummy there, Croatian uses the
verb imati have in the impersonal form (without any subject, in the 3rd person
singular). The nouns are again in G-pl for countable nouns, G-sg for uncountables:
Ima° jabuka G . (G-pl) There are some apples.
Ima° vode G . (G) There is some water.
Pay attention that countable nouns always use G-pl in any constructions involving
quantities. The only exception is with numbers 2-4, neki and koji.
Since these sentences are impersonal (literally: it has some apples), as with any
impersonal sentence, the past tense forms must be in neuter singular. Like in the
negative existential construction, in the past and future tenses, you have to use the
verb biti (je² +) be instead of imati:
Bilo je jabuka G . There were some apples.
Bilo je vode G . There was some water.
Bit će krvi G . There will be blood. ®
f
We have already encountered negative existential constructions, which behave
exactly the same, but use negative forms. They include a very common phrase,
corresponding to English no problem (enter it into Google):
Nema° problema G . There are no problems.
Such sentences are no way limited to indefinite amounts ("some") – they can
express existence (or negation of existence) of any quantity:
Bilo je previše problema G . There were too many problems.
Ima° dosta ljudi G . There are quite a few people.
However, to express existence of a definite quantity of something countable, such
impersonal constructions are less used. This verb can be used instead:
postojati (postoji) exist
Another way is to use definite (i.e. counted) quantity, but in the nominative case