Learn Hardcore Croatian: Moj brat igra nogomet poslije škole. - My brother plays football after school.

Because poslije (“after”) governs the genitive case. The noun škola (feminine) in the genitive singular is škole, so poslije škole = “after school.”

Other examples: poslije posla (after work), poslije ručka (after lunch).
You’ll also see the same with nakon (“after”): nakon škole (also genitive).

Should nogomet be nogometa here?

No. Igrati (“to play”) takes a direct object in the accusative. For masculine inanimate nouns like nogomet, the accusative is identical to the nominative, so it stays nogomet.

Animate masculine nouns change in the accusative (e.g., vidim brata), but inanimate ones (like sports, objects) do not.

Do I need an article like “the” or “a” in Croatian?

No. Croatian has no articles. Moj brat simply means “my brother,” and nogomet is just “soccer/football,” without any article.

What’s the difference between igrati and igrati se?

igrati = to play a game/sport: igrati nogomet, igrati tenis.
igrati se = to play (mess around, as children do), often with s
- instrument/toy: igrati se s loptom (to play with a ball).
  You wouldn’t say igrati se nogomet for the sport; use igrati nogomet.

Does igra mean “plays” or “is playing”?

Both are possible in Croatian present tense. Context decides:

Habitual: “My brother plays soccer after school (regularly).”
Right now: add an adverb like sada/trenutno/upravo for clarity: Moj brat sada igra nogomet.

How do you conjugate igrati in the present?

ja igram
ti igraš
on/ona/ono igra
mi igramo
vi igrate
oni/one/ona igraju
Negation: place ne before the verb: ne igram, ne igra, etc.

Can I move poslije škole to another position?

Yes. Word order is flexible for nuance:

Moj brat igra nogomet poslije škole. (neutral, SVO + time)
Moj brat poslije škole igra nogomet. (time in the middle, slight focus on time)
Poslije škole moj brat igra nogomet. (puts time up front, often used in narratives)
Putting the object first (Nogomet moj brat igra...) is possible for emphasis/contrast but sounds marked.

Is poslije the only way to say “after”? What about nakon or posle?

poslije and nakon are both standard in Croatian and both take the genitive: poslije škole / nakon škole.
posle is common in Serbian; Croatians will understand it, but it’s not standard Croatian.
Avoid po školi for “after school” (that means something else).

Any pronunciation/spelling tips for poslije, moj, and škole?

poslije: the lj is a palatal sound [ʎ], like the “lli” in “million”; j sounds like English “y.” Spelling poslje is wrong.
moj: pronounced like “moy.”
škole: š is “sh.” Always write the diacritics (š, č, ć, ž, đ).

Is nogomet the same as fudbal? Which should I use?

They mean the same sport. In Croatia, the standard word is nogomet. Fudbal (or futbal) is used in Serbia/Bosnia. If you’re learning Croatian, use nogomet.
“American football” is američki nogomet in Croatian.

Why moj brat and not something like moja brat? Does moj have to agree?

Yes, possessive moj agrees with the noun’s gender, number, and case.

masculine: moj brat (my brother)
feminine: moja sestra (my sister)
neuter: moje dijete (my child)

How do I make the sentence negative?

Put ne before the verb: Moj brat ne igra nogomet poslije škole. = “My brother doesn’t play soccer after school.”

Could I say Moj brat se igra nogomet?

No. That’s ungrammatical for the sport. Use Moj brat igra nogomet. If you want “plays with the ball,” say Moj brat se igra s loptom.

Is there a nuance difference between poslije škole and poslije nastave?

poslije škole: after school (the school day in general).
poslije nastave: after classes/lessons (focus on teaching hours).
Both are fine; choose based on what you want to emphasize.