k / g / h → č / ž / š Alternation
Palatalization in Inflection
Some endings bring č, ž or š into the stem.
How It Works
Compare junak → junače, Bog → Bože and duh → duše. These forms address someone or something directly.
The same family of changes also occurs in word formation, including some possessive adjectives. Which change happens depends on the word and the ending.
Do not confuse č with ć or replace these sounds with the c, z and s of sibilarization. The two patterns produce different forms and serve different positions in a paradigm.
Examples (3)
- Junače, dođi ovamo!
Hero, come here!
Junače is the vocative of junak.
- Bože, pomozi mi!
God, help me!
Bože is the vocative of Bog.
- Duše, zašto si ovdje?
Spirit, why are you here?
Duše is a direct-address form of duh.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Vocative forms provide a concrete case context for the k/g/h to č/ž/š alternation.
Related Patterns
Practice k / g / h → č / ž / š Alternation in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Croatian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
