Sudac čita izvještaj.

• sudac is in the nominative singular because it is the subject of the sentence.
• izvještaj is in the accusative singular because it is the direct object.

So the structure is:

• Sudac = the judge / a judge
• čita = reads / is reading
• izvještaj = the report / a report

A useful detail: izvještaj is a masculine inanimate noun, and in Croatian, masculine inanimate nouns often have the same form in the nominative and accusative singular. That is why izvještaj does not change here.

Čita is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb čitati (to read).

It matches sudac, which is he/she/it singular in grammar terms.

Present tense forms of čitati are:

• ja čitam = I read / am reading
• ti čitaš = you read / are reading
• on/ona/ono čita = he/she/it reads / is reading
• mi čitamo = we read / are reading
• vi čitate = you plural/formal read / are reading
• oni/one/ona čitaju = they read / are reading

Because sudac is one person, čita is the correct form.

It can mean both, depending on context.

So Sudac čita izvještaj can mean:

• The judge reads the report
  or
• The judge is reading the report

Croatian present tense often covers both the simple present and the present continuous that English separates.

Context tells you which one is intended.

Croatian does not have articles like English the and a/an.

So Sudac čita izvještaj could mean:

• The judge reads the report
• A judge reads a report
• The judge is reading a report
• and so on

The exact meaning depends on context.

If Croatian speakers need to be more specific, they usually do it through:

• context
• word order
• demonstratives like ovaj (this) or taj (that)

Yes. Croatian word order is more flexible than English word order because cases show grammatical roles.

The neutral, straightforward order here is:

• Sudac čita izvještaj.

But you could also hear:

• Izvještaj čita sudac.
• Čita sudac izvještaj.
• Čita izvještaj sudac.

These versions may sound more marked, emphatic, or stylistically different, but they are still understandable because the forms help show who is doing what.

The most natural basic version for a learner is still:

• Sudac čita izvještaj.

Croatian often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person and number.

For example:

• Čita izvještaj. = He/She is reading a report or The judge is reading a report, depending on context.

In your sentence, the subject is already stated as sudac, so adding on would usually be unnecessary.

Croatian uses pronouns mainly for:

• emphasis
• contrast
• clarity when needed

Yes. Čitati is an imperfective verb.

That means it usually focuses on:

• an ongoing action
• a repeated action
• the process of doing something

So čita fits well for:

• is reading
• reads

The related perfective verb is usually pročitati, which means something like to read through / to finish reading.

Compare:

• Sudac čita izvještaj. = The judge is reading / reads the report.
• Sudac je pročitao izvještaj. = The judge read / has finished reading the report.

This aspect distinction is very important in Croatian.

A rough pronunciation guide:

• Sudac ≈ SOO-dahts
• čita ≈ CHEE-ta
• izvještaj ≈ eez-VYESH-tie

A few sound notes:

• č sounds like ch in church, but often a bit harder/sharper
• c sounds like ts
• j sounds like English y
• š sounds like sh
• zv in izvještaj is pronounced together, without adding a vowel

The stress is not usually marked in normal writing, so learners often pick it up through listening.

Yes. Sudac is a masculine noun, and nouns ending in -ac often change their stem in some cases.

For example, singular forms include:

• nominative: sudac
• genitive: suca
• dative: sucu
• accusative: suca if it refers to a person, because masculine animate nouns take the genitive form in the accusative
• vocative: suče
• locative: sucu
• instrumental: sucem

An important point: because sudac refers to a person, it is masculine animate, so its accusative singular is suca, not sudac.

That matters in a sentence like:

• Vidim suca. = I see the judge.

But in your original sentence, sudac is the subject, so it stays in the nominative: sudac.

Because it is:

• masculine
• inanimate
• singular
• in the accusative

For many masculine inanimate nouns in Croatian, the accusative singular is the same as the nominative singular.

So:

• nominative: izvještaj
• accusative: izvještaj

Compare that with a masculine animate noun like sudac:

• nominative: sudac
• accusative: suca

This animate/inanimate distinction is very important in Croatian grammar.

Yes. Izvještaj is a standard word meaning report. Depending on context, Croatian can also use related words, but izvještaj is the normal and safe choice in many situations.

For learners, the important thing in this sentence is that izvještaj is the direct object and behaves like a regular masculine inanimate noun in the accusative singular.

Yes. Sudac čita izvještaj. is a completely natural, grammatical Croatian sentence.

It is simple, neutral, and useful for learning because it shows:

• a clear subject: sudac
• a present-tense verb: čita
• a direct object: izvještaj

It is the kind of sentence often used in beginner grammar because the structure is clean and easy to analyze.