Pub kviz počinje večeras.

Pub kviz is a very common modern expression in Croatian, especially in informal, urban contexts. It is basically a borrowed phrase modeled on English pub quiz.

You could also hear:

• kviz u pubu = a quiz in a pub
• pubski kviz = pub quiz as an adjective-based phrase

But pub kviz is natural and widely used, especially for the specific social event type.

Because in pub kviz, the noun pub is being used almost like a label or modifier in front of another noun, similar to how English often stacks nouns together.

So:

• pub kviz = literally pub quiz
• pub stays in its basic form here

If you used a different structure, then it would change:

• kviz u pubu = quiz in the pub

Here, pubu is in the locative case after u.

Because the subject is kviz, which is singular.

The phrase pub kviz is one thing: a pub quiz. The head noun is kviz, and it is masculine singular, so the verb is also singular:

• kviz počinje = the quiz begins
• kvizovi počinju = the quizzes begin

Even though there are two words, the subject is still a single event.

Počinje is the 3rd person singular present tense of počinjati / početi.

Here it agrees with kviz:

• ja počinjem = I begin / am beginning
• ti počinješ = you begin
• on/ona/ono počinje = he/she/it begins

In this sentence:

• Pub kviz počinje večeras. = The pub quiz starts tonight.

Croatian often uses the present tense for scheduled future events, just like English does in sentences such as The movie starts at 8.

So:

• Pub kviz počinje večeras.

literally looks present, but naturally means:

• The pub quiz starts tonight
• The pub quiz is starting tonight

This is very normal with timetabled, planned, or scheduled events.

Večeras means tonight, and it functions as an adverb of time.

That is why there is no preposition. Croatian often uses single adverbial time words where English also uses a single word:

• danas = today
• sutra = tomorrow
• večeras = tonight
• jutros = this morning

So:

• počinje večeras = starts tonight

You do not need something like u večeras.

Yes. Croatian word order is fairly flexible, though some orders sound more natural depending on context and emphasis.

Neutral order:

• Pub kviz počinje večeras.

Other possible orders:

• Večeras počinje pub kviz. = emphasis on tonight
• Počinje večeras pub kviz. = possible, but less neutral and more marked

So the original sentence is a very natural default order.

No. Croatian has no articles like a or the.

So pub kviz can mean:

• a pub quiz
• the pub quiz

The exact meaning depends on context.

That is one big difference from English: Croatian usually leaves definiteness unstated unless context makes it clear.

A helpful approximate pronunciation is:

PO-chee-nye

More precisely:

• po = like po in पो? Better for English speakers: similar to poh
• č = ch as in chocolate
• i = ee
• nj = like ny in canyon (roughly)
• e = short e

So počinje sounds roughly like POH-chee-nyeh.

Roughly:

VE-che-ras

Details:

• v as in English v
• e as in bed, but cleaner/purer
• č = ch
• r is a rolled or tapped r
• stress is commonly on the first syllable: VEčeras

A rough English-friendly version is:

• VEH-cheh-rahs

Kviz is a borrowing, ultimately from English quiz, but it is fully naturalized in Croatian.

It behaves like a normal Croatian masculine noun:

• kviz = singular
• kviza = genitive singular
• kvizovi = plural

So even though it comes from English, grammatically it fits into Croatian very normally.

Yes, you could. That means The pub quiz will start tonight.

However, with planned events, Croatian often prefers the simple present:

• Pub kviz počinje večeras.

This usually sounds more natural for schedules, announcements, and organized events.

Compare:

• počinje večeras = starts tonight
• će početi večeras = will start tonight

Both are correct, but the first one is very common in this kind of sentence.