Learn Hardcore Croatian: Trebam pomoć jer je posao težak.

It’s accusative singular (direct object of trebam). The noun pomoć is feminine and belongs to a group where nominative and accusative look the same in the singular (like noć). Genitive is pomoći. So: Trebam pomoć = I need help.

Why is the adjective težak (masculine) and not teška or teško?

Adjectives agree with the noun they describe. Posao is masculine singular, so the predicate adjective is masculine singular nominative: posao je težak. Use:

teška with feminine nouns (e.g., zadaća je teška),
teško with neuter nouns or in impersonal statements (e.g., to je teško, raditi je teško).

What does jer do, and how is it different from zato što?

Both introduce a reason clause and translate to because.

jer is a simple conjunction: Trebam pomoć, jer je posao težak.
zato što is a two-part expression (literally that’s why + that): Trebam pomoć zato što je posao težak. They’re usually interchangeable; zato što can sound a bit more explicit/emphatic. In formal Croatian, avoid using pošto for because (it’s mostly Serbian/colloquial; Croatian pošto means how much/after).

Do I need a comma before jer?

In careful/formal writing, a comma before jer is common: Trebam pomoć, jer je posao težak. In short, simple sentences it’s often omitted in everyday writing: Trebam pomoć jer je posao težak. Both are widely seen; with longer clauses, prefer the comma.

Why is je placed right after jer?

je is a clitic (the short unstressed form of biti = to be) and tends to sit in the second position of its clause. In … jer je posao težak, the clause after jer starts, and je takes that second slot. You wouldn’t say … jer posao je težak in neutral speech; … jer je posao težak is the default.

Can I say Treba mi pomoć instead of Trebam pomoć?

Yes. Both mean I need help.

Trebam pomoć = personal verb with a direct object.
Treba mi pomoć = impersonal construction (help is needed to me, dative mi). Both are natural; Treba mi pomoć is very common in speech. Note: the impersonal pattern doesn’t take an infinitive (Treba mi raditi is not Croatian standard). For need-to + verb, use Moram raditi or Trebam raditi.

Is posao “job” or “work”? How do I know?

posao can mean job or work/tasks; context supplies definiteness (there are no articles in Croatian). If you want the abstract idea of work, rad is more formal/abstract: Rad je težak (Work is hard). Posao je težak often implies one’s job or current work.

Why not Posao je teško?

teško is an adverb (or neuter adjective). With a concrete masculine noun (posao), you need the masculine adjective težak. You do use teško with impersonal or neuter subjects: Raditi je teško. / To je teško.

Can I switch the clause order?

Yes: Jer je posao težak, trebam pomoć. When the reason clause comes first, use a comma after it.

Can I add a dative pronoun to say “the job is hard for me”?

Yes: Trebam pomoć jer mi je posao težak. Here mi (to me) adds a personal angle: the job is hard for me. Standalone: Posao mi je težak.

How do I say “I need some/a little help”?

Trebam neku pomoć. (some help)
Trebam malo pomoći. (a little help; note genitive pomoći after malo/puno/više)
Politer softening: Trebao/trebala bi mi pomoć. (I could use some help.)

What are the present-tense forms of trebati?

ja trebam
ti trebaš
on/ona/ono treba
mi trebamo
vi trebate
oni/one/ona trebaju Negation: ne trebam, ne trebaš, etc.

How would I put the sentence in the past?

Two common options:

Personal: Trebao/trebala sam pomoć jer je posao bio težak.
Impersonal: Trebala mi je pomoć jer je posao bio težak. Choose trebao/trebala to match the speaker’s gender.

Any pronunciation tips (especially ć and ž)?

ć in pomoć is a soft “ch,” like the “t” + “ch” in British “tune” said together; keep it short and sharp.
ž in težak is like the “s” in “measure.”
je is pronounced “yeh.”

What’s the difference between pomoć and pomoći?

pomoć is the noun help (nom/acc singular).
pomoći can be:
- the genitive/dative/locative singular of the noun (malo pomoći = a bit of help),
- or the infinitive of the verb pomoći (to help, perfective). Context disambiguates.