Learn Hardcore Croatian: Igram nogomet jer je sport zabavan. - I play football because the sport is fun.

Igram is 1st person singular present of igrati (to play): “I play / I am playing.”
Croatian is a “pro‑drop” language, so the subject pronoun ja (I) is usually omitted. Igram already implies “I.”
You can add Ja igram for emphasis or contrast (e.g., “I play (not someone else)”).

How is igrati conjugated in the present tense?

Present tense of igrati:

Why is it nogomet and not nogometa after igram?

Nogomet is a masculine inanimate noun. In Croatian, the accusative of masculine inanimate nouns is the same as the nominative, so it stays nogomet.
Examples: gledam film, vozim auto (inanimate → no -a); but vidim čovjeka (animate masculine → -a in accusative).

What case are the nouns in?

Nogomet is in the accusative as the direct object of igram.
In the clause jer je sport zabavan, sport is the subject (nominative), and zabavan is a predicate adjective agreeing with sport (masc. sg. nom.).

Why is it zabavan and not zabavno?

Zabavan is an adjective agreeing with sport (masculine singular nominative): Sport je zabavan = “Sport is fun.”
Zabavno is neuter or an adverbial form and you’d use it in sentences like: To je zabavno (“That is fun”) or Igranje nogometa je zabavno (“Playing soccer is fun”).

What is je here?

Je is the 3rd person singular present of biti (“to be”): “is.”
It’s a clitic (an unstressed short word) that prefers second position in its clause.

Why is it jer je sport zabavan, not jer sport je zabavan?

Because je is a clitic and in Croatian clitics go to the “second position” of their clause (Wackernagel position).
The clause starts with jer, so the clitic je immediately follows: jer je sport zabavan.
Jer sport je zabavan is nonstandard/ungrammatical in the standard language.

Do I need a comma before jer?

In standard writing, a comma is typically placed before jer when it introduces a causal clause: Igram nogomet, jer je sport zabavan.
In informal writing you’ll often see it omitted, as in your sentence. In careful/formal prose, include the comma.

Can I reverse the order of the clauses?

Yes: Jer je sport zabavan, igram nogomet.
When the “because”-clause comes first, keep the comma after it. Clitic placement stays the same: jer je …

Why is there no “a/the” article like in English?

Croatian has no articles. Definiteness/indefiniteness is inferred from context or expressed with words like taj (that), ovaj (this), jedan (a/one), neki (some).
Here, sport can mean “sport (in general)” without needing “a/the.”

Does Igram nogomet mean “I play soccer (generally)” or “I’m playing soccer (right now)”?

The Croatian present covers both habitual and ongoing actions. Context disambiguates.
You can add adverbs for clarity: sada (now), obično (usually), često (often), etc.

Can I say igrati se nogomet?

No. Use transitive igrati with games/sports: igrati nogomet, igrati šah.
Igrati se means “to play (in general),” often without naming a specific game: Djeca se igraju (“The children are playing”).

How do I say “play an instrument”?

Use svirati: svirati gitaru, svirati klavir. Don’t use igrati with instruments.

Can I say this another way, like “because it’s fun”?

Yes: Igram nogomet jer je to zabavno.
More personal: Igram nogomet jer mi je zabavno (“because it’s fun for me”) or … jer mi je sport zabavan (dative mi = “to me”).

Can I use zato što or budući da instead of jer?

Yes: Igram nogomet zato što je sport zabavan. / … budući da je sport zabavan.
All mean “because/since,” with zato što and budući da sounding a bit more explicit or formal in some contexts. Jer is very common and neutral.

Why is it singular sport je zabavan when in English we might say “sports are fun”?

Croatian often uses a singular abstract noun for generalizations: Sport je zabavan (“Sport is fun” = “Sports are fun” in general).
Plural is also possible: Sportovi su zabavni, but the singular generalization is very natural.

Is there any regional vocabulary for “soccer/football”?

Standard Croatian: nogomet.
In Serbian/Bosnian you’ll hear fudbal. In some Croatian dialects you may hear balun (esp. Dalmatia), but stick to nogomet in standard Croatian.
“American football” is američki nogomet.