Questions & Answers about Nadam se da ona danas radi.
How does the da clause work in this sentence?
After verbs expressing hope, wish, or thought like nadam se (I hope), you use the conjunction da (that) followed by a normal present tense clause. It acts just like English: you connect the main idea (I hope) to the second idea (she works today) using da.
Why is there a se next to nadam?
The dictionary form for the verb "to hope" in Croatian is nadati se. It is a reflexive verb, meaning it always requires the word se, even though it does not translate to "myself" in English. Therefore, "I hope" will always be nadam se.
Is the word ona (she) strictly necessary here?
No, you could just say Nadam se da danas radi. Croatian verb endings usually tell us who is doing the action, so subject pronouns are often dropped. Including ona simply makes it clearer who is working, or adds a slight emphasis.
Why does danas (today) come before the verb radi?
Adverbs of time like danas frequently come before the verb they modify, especially inside subordinate clauses (the part of the sentence after da). While da ona radi danas is understandable, da ona danas radi flows much more naturally in Croatian.