"Sviđati se" and "Voljeti"

Basic Meanings and Uses of "sviđati se"

The verb "sviđati se" in Croatian is primarily used to express liking something or someone in terms of attraction, preference, or appeal. Unlike the verb "voljeti," which conveys a deeper sense of love or affection, "sviđati se" is closer to the English phrase "to like" or "to be pleasing to."

Sviđati se is generally less intense than voljeti. It's the feeling you have for a good movie, a favorite food, or a person you find attractive or enjoyable to be around. It's a positive feeling, but not necessarily a profound one. Sviđati se can be fleeting or relatively short-lived. You might like a song when you first hear it, but your interest might fade over time. You might like someone's company, but it doesn't mean you're committed to a long-term relationship.

One important thing to note is that "sviđati se" functions differently in Croatian compared to English. It operates similarly to the English expression "to be pleasing to," which means the subject and the person who likes something switch places in the sentence.

Basic Meanings and Uses of "voljeti"

The verb "voljeti" in Croatian primarily means "to love" or "to like," and it is used to express affection or emotional attachment towards someone or something. Unlike "sviđati se," which focuses more on something being pleasing or appealing to someone, "voljeti" conveys a deeper, more personal feeling. For example, when you say:

- Volim čokoladu. — "I love chocolate."

- Volim svog psa. — "I love my dog."

In these sentences, "voljeti" directly expresses a strong liking or love for a person, animal, or object. Additionally, "voljeti" can be used in a broader sense to indicate habits or preferences:

- Volim čitati knjige. — "I like to read books."

- Volim ljeto. — "I like summer."

Grammatical Structure of "sviđati se"

Grammatically, "sviđati se" is a reflexive verb that typically requires the dative case to mark the pleased person and the nominative case for the thing that is liked.

For example:

- "Ova knjiga mi se sviđa." – "I like this book." (Literally: "This book is pleasing to me.")

- "Film joj se sviđa." – "She likes the movie." (Literally: "The movie is pleasing to her.").

Notice that the subject of the sentence is the thing that is liked, not the person. This is a crucial distinction because it affects verb agreement. The verb "sviđati se" agrees in number with the subject (the thing liked), not with the person who likes it. Another example:

- "Ove pjesme mi se sviđaju." – "I like these songs." (Plural form of the verb "sviđati.")

Grammatical Structure of "voljeti"

The verb "voljeti" is one of the most common verbs used to express liking or loving something or someone in Croatian. "Voljeti" is a transitive verb, meaning it takes a direct object in the accusative case — the person or thing that is loved or liked. The subject of the sentence is the person who loves or likes something.

Examples:

- Ja volim glazbu. (I love music.) - "Ja" (I) is the subject in the nominative.- "volim" is the first person singular present tense of "voljeti."- "glazbu" (music) is the direct object in the accusative.

- Ona voli svog psa. (She loves her dog.) - "Ona" (she) is the subject.- "voli" is the third person singular present tense.- "svog psa" (her dog) is the accusative object.

In summary, use "sviđati se" when referring to things or people you like on a more casual or initial level, and "voljeti" when expressing stronger feelings of love or deep affection.

Here are some exercises designed to help you master their correct usage in everyday conversation.

Exercise 1: Read the following sentences and decide whether "sviđati se" or "voljeti" fits best.

1. Ja __________ čokoladu. (I like/love chocolate.)

2. Ovaj film mi se jako __________. (I really like this movie.)

3. Oni __________ ići na more svake godine. (They like/love going to the sea every year.)

4. Njoj se ne __________ ta pjesma. (She doesn’t like that song.)

Answers: 1. volim 2. sviđa 3. vole 4. sviđa

Exercise 2: Translate the following English sentences into Croatian, paying attention to the correct verb choice and structure.

1. I like your new car.

2. She loves reading books.

3. Do you like this restaurant?

4. We love Croatian music.

Answers: 1. Sviđa mi se tvoj novi auto. 2. Ona voli čitati knjige. 3. Sviđa li ti se ovaj restoran? 4. Volimo hrvatsku glazbu.

Exercise 3: Write three sentences using "sviđati se" and three using "voljeti" to describe things you like or love. For example: -Volim putovati po svijetu. (I love traveling around the world.)