Learn Croatian: Želim sendvič, jaje i tanjur. - I want a sandwich, an egg and a plate.

The verb želim (I want) requires the accusative case for the things being wanted. A helpful rule in Croatian is that for neuter nouns (like jaje) and inanimate masculine nouns (non-living things like sendvič and tanjur), the accusative form is exactly the same as the dictionary form.

Would the masculine words change if I wanted something alive?

Yes! Masculine words only stay the same in the accusative case if they are inanimate (not alive). If you wanted a living masculine noun, like a dog (pas), the word would change its ending. Since a sandwich and a plate are inanimate, they stay as sendvič and tanjur.

Why is there no word for I before želim?

In Croatian, the ending of the verb tells you who is doing the action. The -im ending on želim already means I want, so you do not need to add the pronoun ja (I) unless you want to add special emphasis.

Where are the words for a and an in this sentence?

Croatian does not use articles like a, an, or the. The word jaje translates to an egg or the egg, and tanjur translates to a plate or the plate. You just rely on the context of the conversation to know which one makes sense.