Questions & Answers about Kuda idemo u centar?
Why does this sentence use kuda instead of kamo if we are going somewhere?
Kamo asks for the final destination (where to), while kuda asks for the route or direction (which way). Because the destination is already stated in the sentence (u centar), the speaker is asking about the specific path or route they will take to get there.
The translation says 'to the center', so why does the Croatian use the preposition u (in) instead of do (to/until)?
In Croatian, you typically use u (into) or na (onto) with the accusative case to express going to a destination. Do usually implies going up to the edge of something or as far as a certain point, whereas u centar implies entering the center itself.
Why is it u centar and not u centru?
Because the verb idemo (we are going) shows motion toward a destination, the preposition u must be followed by the accusative case. For masculine inanimate nouns like centar, the accusative looks exactly like the dictionary form. If you were already hanging out in the center (location without motion), you would use the locative case: u centru.
I often hear native speakers say Kuda ideš? to mean 'Where are you going?'. Is that correct?
In everyday, informal street Croatian, people very often mix up gdje, kamo, and kuda. It is extremely common to hear someone use kuda or gdje when asking about a destination. However, strict standard Croatian grammar keeps them separate, which is what this lesson focuses on.
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