Clitics After a Long Opening
Unstressed words need a suitable host near the beginning of their clause. With a long initial subject, standard prose can place the clitic after the main verb instead of awkwardly splitting the subject.
How It Works
A short opening allows Ana je stigla. A longer noun phrase offers more than one arrangement: Moja je mlađa sestra stigla or Moja mlađa sestra stigla je. The first places the clitic within the phrase; the second keeps that phrase intact.
Splitting a person’s given name and surname with a clitic can be stylistically marked. For neutral prose, keeping the name together and placing the clitic after the predicate is often clearer.
Keep a clitic group together once you place it: Moja mlađa sestra poslala mi je poruku. Long introductions and pauses affect the available host, so revise the whole clause rather than shifting only one member of the group.
Examples (3)
- Moja mlađa sestra stigla je sinoć.
My younger sister arrived last night.
- Profesor Ivan Horvat objasnio nam je zadatak.
Professor Ivan Horvat explained the task to us.
- Naša nova susjeda donijela nam je kolače.
Our new neighbour brought us cakes.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Long openings reveal why second-position placement uses a prosodic domain rather than a printed word count.
Related Patterns
Practice Clitics After a Long Opening in Bubblegum
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