Provjerite potrošnju podataka.

Provjerite is the imperative form of provjeriti and means check! here.

More specifically, it is the form used for:

• more than one person: you all, check
• one person formally/politely: please check

In instructions, app menus, and official messages, Croatian often uses this form the same way English uses a neutral command like Check data usage.

It can also be a present-tense form in other contexts, but in this sentence it is understood as a command.

Because provjerite is the command form for:

• plural you
• or formal singular you

By contrast, provjeri is the command form for one person informally.

So:

• Provjeri potrošnju podataka. = Check the data usage. said to one friend/informally
• Provjerite potrošnju podataka. = Check the data usage. said formally or to several people

Because potrošnju is in the accusative singular, which is the case used for the direct object of the verb.

The basic form is:

• potrošnja = usage, consumption

But after provjerite you are checking what?

• provjerite potrošnju

That is why the noun changes from potrošnja to potrošnju.

This is a very common pattern with feminine nouns ending in -a:

• nominative: potrošnja
• accusative: potrošnju

Because podataka is the genitive plural form of podatak.

The phrase potrošnja podataka literally works like usage of data. After nouns such as potrošnja, Croatian often uses the genitive to show what is being used or consumed.

So:

• potrošnja = usage, consumption
• podataka = of data

Together:

• potrošnja podataka = data usage

The dictionary form is:

• singular: podatak = a piece of data / a datum
• plural: podaci = data

In this sentence, the form is:

• podataka = genitive plural

So the noun changes like this:

• podaci = data
• potrošnja podataka = usage of data

Yes, grammatically it comes from the plural noun podaci.

That can feel a little unusual to English speakers, because in modern English data is often treated like a mass noun. In Croatian, though, the normal noun is:

• podatak = one item of data
• podaci = data

In expressions like potrošnja podataka, the language uses the genitive plural podataka.

Croatian often leaves out possessive words like your when the meaning is obvious from context.

In a phone menu, app, or system message, Provjerite potrošnju podataka naturally means something like:

• Check your data usage
• or Check the data usage

Croatian does not need to say vašu potrošnju podataka unless it wants to emphasize your specifically.

This is about aspect, which is very important in Croatian verbs.

• provjeriti = perfective: check once, complete the action
• provjeravati = imperfective: be checking, check repeatedly, check from time to time

In commands like this, Croatian usually prefers the perfective verb when the idea is do this action and finish it.

So:

• Provjerite potrošnju podataka. = Check the data usage. one complete action

If you used provjeravajte, it would sound more like:

• keep checking
• check regularly
• check from time to time

No, Croatian word order is fairly flexible, but Provjerite potrošnju podataka is the most natural neutral order here.

It puts:

1. the verb first, as is common in commands
2. then the object

You might also hear:

• Potrošnju podataka provjerite.

But that sounds more marked and would usually add emphasis or contrast. For a normal instruction, Provjerite potrošnju podataka is the standard choice.