Masculine Nonliving Direct Objects

Level 2

In the common masculine consonant declension, inanimate accusative singular matches nominative singular. Vidim grad uses the same noun form as Grad je velik.

How It Works

Grad, stol and telefon are inanimate masculine nouns. As singular direct objects in their ordinary meanings, they keep a nominative-shaped form: Vidim grad. and Imam telefon.

Compare a living masculine noun: Vidim prijatelja. That animate pattern uses a genitive-shaped accusative. Gender is the same in both, while animacy changes the singular object pattern.

Plural objects have their own endings. Do not preserve grad unchanged when referring to several cities, and do not use the genitive form grada just because another masculine object takes -a.

Examples (3)

  1. Vidim grad.

    I can see the city.

    Grad is accusative despite matching the nominative form.

  2. Kupujem stol.

    I am buying a table.

    Stol is a nonliving masculine singular object.

  3. Imam novi telefon.

    I have a new phone.

    The modifier and noun form an inanimate accusative phrase.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Masculine Nonliving Direct ObjectsLevel 2

Learn This First

Inanimate masculine objects show that accusative role need not change the noun’s visible form.