There’s a group of adjectives derived from many verbs (but not all!) that stand for potential. They are kind of similar to passive adjectives. English has such adjectives too: examples are visible and readable.
They are usually derived by adding -ljiv to the verb root (that is, the infinitive form without -ati, -iti, -jeti, etc.):
čitati read →
čit- →
čitljiv readable
vidjeti see →
vid- →
vidljiv visible
They are frequently derived from perf. verbs:
prihvatiti perf. accept →
prihvatljiv acceptable
shvatiti perf. understand →
shvatljiv understandable
uzbuditi («) perf. excite →
uzbudljiv exciting
zapaliti («) perf. ignite →
zapaljiv flammable
The stress of such adjectives seems to be always on the syllable just before the last one (that is, one before -ljiv).
Few verbs that end in -siti or -sati have pot. adj. ending only in -siv. Common ones are:
podesiti perf. adjust →
podesiv adjustable
prenositi transport →
prenosiv portable
If the consonant that would come before -ljiv is n or nj, it gets fused with lj; some adjectives have both forms:
promijeniti perf. change →
promjenjiv / promjenljiv variable
hraniti feed →
hranjiv nutritious
sumnjati suspect →
sumnjiv suspicious
(You will sometimes see the spelling sumljiv; that’s considered non-standard and a gross error by some people.)
Verbs that have pres-3 ending in -e usually don’t derive such adjectives with -ljiv, but with -iv, and they appear more similar to the infinitive form:
jesti (jede) eat →
jestiv eatable
opisati (opiše) perf. describe →
opisiv describable
saviti (savije) perf. bend →
savitljiv flexible
If the verb contains a sequence -ije-, it’s shortened in the potential adjective to -je- or just -e- (after r, preceded by another consonant):
dijeliti divide, share →
djeljiv divisible
lijepiti glue, stick →
ljepljiv sticky
As in English, negated versions of some potential adjectives are more common then non-negated. The negation is done by simply appending ne- to the front. Common negated potential adjectives are:
nerazumljiv incomprehensible
neshvatljiv inexplicable
neuništiv indestructible
nevidljiv invisible
The verb piti (pije) drink doesn’t have a regular potential adjective, but a specific adjective is used:
pitak (pitk-) drinkable, potable
Also, a frequent negative potential adj. has an unexpected form:
nezaboravan (nezaboravn-) unforgettable
Some potential adjectives stand for active ability, especially when someone likes to do something, or often does something; this happens mostly for verbs related to talking. For example:
paziti take care →
pažljiv careful
pričati tell (stories) →
pričljiv talkative
šaliti se² joke →
šaljiv funny, humorous
šutjeti / šutiti be silent →
šutljiv silent
Few more adjectives have (apparently) non-potential meaning:
dirati touch →
dirljiv touching, emotional
hraniti feed →
hranjiv nutritious
osjetiti perf. feel →
osjetljiv sensitive
smrdjeti / smrditi stink →
smrdljiv foul-smelling
strpiti se² be patient →
strpljiv patient
zanimati («) be interesting →
zanimljiv interesting
Unlike passive adjectives, most potential adjectives are comparable (and always use the -iji suffix). The stress moves to the suffix (ljiv):
pažljiv careful →
pažljiviji more careful
vidljiv visible →
vidljiviji more visible
However, you should remember that not all verbs have potential adjectives, even if it would make sense.
Similar in form to potential adjectives – but not in meaning – are adjectives derived by adding -av. There are only a couple of them derived from verbs in frequent use:
brbljati chit-chat →
brbljav chatty
prljati soil, pollute →
prljav dirty
This suffix is used to derive adjectives from certain nouns:
dlaka body hair, animal hair →
dlakav hairy
hrđa rust →
hrđav rusty ®
krv f blood →
krvav bloody
mišić muscle →
mišićav muscular
These adjectives never have a case-base with the -a- dropped, while adjectives which end in -av for other reasons sometimes have, e.g. mrtav (mrtv-) dead.
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® In Serbia and Bosnia, words for rust and rusty don’t have the initial h: they have form rđa and rđav.
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