# Croatian: Mjesec dana/tjedan dana/godina dana



## Miliu

Hello foreros!

In many expressions of time where appear the words week, month and year, I see the specification "dana" after mjesec (mesec), tjedan (nedelja) and godina, like here: 

Marko ide samo na tjedan dana (=for one week).

Tjedan dana festivala (=during the week)

Bender fali još nedelju dana (=since?/for one week).

Vremenska prognoza mjesec dana (=during the month).

Ceo život za godinu dana (=within one year).

What additional information gives us that specification of "dana"? 
In what cases is it necessary to add this specification?

Hvala lijepa.


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## Gnoj

"Dana" means "days" (dan = day). Mjesec/godinu/tjedan are just a replacement for the length (~30, 365 and 7). So instead of saying "trideset dana" you may also say "m(j)esec dana".


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## Miliu

I do know how many days has a month or a year, thanks. 

But why do I have to put this "dana" after the words month, week, year. May I have a "year of apples" or a "year of tables" instead of a "year of 365 days"?


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## Anicetus

Miliu said:


> What additional information gives us that specification of "dana"?
> In what cases is it necessary to add this specification?



It gives no additional information, it's just another oddity in the language. Namely, you can't use those nouns in accusative alone as time adverbials -- they always require an another word with them. You can also say _jednu godinu_ instead of _godinu dana_, but it's less idiomatic. However, when it's not "*a* year" that's being spoken of -- that is, when the noun comes with a quantifier anyway -- for example, _dvije godine, pet godina, dvadeset i jednu godinu, nekoliko godina_, _dana_ can't be added. Note that _sat_ ("hour") takes the quantifier _vremena_ for this purpose. So "I'm coming in an hour" would be _Dolazim za sat vremena_ or alternatively _Dolazim za jedan sat_, which sounds slightly less natural.


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## Vanja

Miliu said:


> Tjedan dana festivala (=during the week= *tokom nedelje*) *- one week festival, Festival lasts for a week*
> 
> Bender fali još nedelju dana (=since?/for one week). *= Bender fali već nedelju dana.* *Bender fali još od prošle nedelje.*
> (I don't understand what you wanted to say. Bender = Terevenka?* Do* bendera treba *još* nedelju dana)
> 
> Vremenska prognoza *za *mjesec dana (=during the month). *M(j)esečna vremenska prognoza
> *
> Ceo život za godinu dana (=within one year). *A whole life in one year.*
> 
> Hvala lijep*o*.


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## Gnoj

Miliu said:


> I do know how many days has a month or a year, thanks.


I was just explaining. 




> But why do I have to put this "dana" after the words month, week, year. May I have a "year of apples" or a "year of tables" instead of a "year of 365 days"?


I think you've misunderstood it. What you are basically saying by using "tjedan/ned(j)elju/m(j)esec/godinu dana" is "as many days as there are in a week/month/year". Literally.
How long? - A week. = Koliko dugo? - Ned(j)elju dana.


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## Miliu

I don't know who may be Bender, just copied this link:




Bender fali jos nedelju dana - Borussia Dortmund Balkan Fan Club bvb1909.webs.com/.../19629530-*bender*-*fali*-*jos*... 
Has publicado que a ti también te gusta esto. Deshacer
*Bender fali jos* nedelju dana. Posted on October 29, 2012 at 10:10 PM. Categories: None. Comments are disabled. Members Area · Sign In or Register *...

And thanks for the corrections and examples!*


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## Miliu

I'm sorry, Gnoj: I didn't understand you. Thanks for the (deserved) emoticon!


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## Tassos

Sven Bender is a Borussia Dortmund player. The title says that he is out for one more week.


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## Vanja

Oh, that was a headline  , no wonder...
Mr. Bender fali (*će faliti*)(klubu/momcima.. faliti/nedostajati *nekom*) još nedlju dana.
Fali mu daska u glavi (može i u glavu )


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