Learn Croatian: Zovem mamu, ali se ne javlja. - I'm calling mum, but she isn't answering.

While odgovarati means to answer a direct question or reply to a message, javljati se is the specific verb used for answering a phone call, picking up the receiver, or getting in touch with someone.

Why does the word se come right after ali instead of staying next to the verb?

The word se is an enclitic, meaning it naturally wants to take the second position in its clause. The conjunction ali (but) takes the first position here, so se comes immediately after it, pushing the negative verb ne javlja further down.

Where is the word for she in the second half of the sentence?

Croatian regularly drops subject pronouns like ona (she) because the verb form makes the subject clear. The ending of javlja shows it is a third-person singular action, and the context points directly back to mamu.

Why is it just zovem mamu instead of adding the word for my?

When talking about close family members, Croatian speakers usually drop the possessive pronoun if it is obvious whose family member it is. Adding moju (my) here would sound clunky and unnecessary to a native speaker.