Breakdown of Sada smo na plaži.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
sada
now
na
on, at / to, onto (with motion) / about (thinking about)
plaža
beach (f)
Questions & Answers about Sada smo na plaži.
Why is it plaži instead of plažu if the current lesson is about destinations?
This sentence is actually showing a contrast! While your lesson teaches the accusative case for destinations (where you are going), this sentence describes where we already are (a fixed location). For a static location, we use the locative case, so plaža becomes plaži. If we were traveling to the beach, we would use the accusative: Idemo na plažu.
Why do we use the preposition na instead of u for the beach?
In Croatian, na (on/at) is used for open, outdoor spaces and surfaces. A beach (plaža) is considered an open surface, so you are 'on' the beach. You would generally use u (in) for enclosed spaces, like being inside a building or a room.
Where is the word for 'we' in this sentence?
You do not need one! The verb smo (are) is the 'we' form of the verb biti (to be). In Croatian, pronouns like mi (we) are usually dropped because the verb itself already tells you who is doing the action. You only add mi if you want to emphasize it.
Why does smo come right after sada?