Learn Hardcore Croatian: Mogu igrati nogomet samo do šest sati. - I can play football only until six o’clock.

Croatian regularly drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person. Mogu is 1st person singular of moći (to be able), so it already means I can. You can add Ja for emphasis: Ja mogu igrati… (I can…).

Why is it igrati and not igrati se?

igrati = to play (a sport/game competitively): Igram nogomet.
igrati se = to play (in the sense children play, fool around): Djeca se igraju u parku. For sports like soccer/football, use the non-reflexive igrati.

What case is nogomet in, and why does it look unchanged?

It’s the direct object, so it’s in the accusative. For masculine inanimate nouns, accusative = nominative in form. Hence nogomet looks the same as the subject form. Contrast with animate nouns: Pas (nom) → Vidim psa (acc).

Does do šest sati include six o’clock or is it exclusive?

By default it’s exclusive: “until six” means you stop when the clock hits six. If you need to be crystal clear:

Exclusive: najkasnije do šest (by six at the latest).
Inclusive (rare/explicit): do šest, uključivo (until and including six).

Why is it šest sati and not šest sat?

Two reasons:

The preposition do takes the genitive.
With numbers 5 and up, the noun goes to genitive plural. So: do pet/šest/sedam… sati. With 2–4 you’d use genitive singular: do dva/tri/četiri sata.

Can I drop sati and just say do šest?

Yes. do šest is very common and means the same in context. If AM/PM matters, add:

do šest ujutro (until six in the morning)
do šest poslijepodne/popodne (until six in the afternoon/evening) Or use the 24‑hour style: do 18 sati.

How do I say “until 6:30”?

do šest i trideset
or the very common do pola sedam (literally “until half of seven,” which means 6:30).

Where should samo go, and how does word order change the meaning?

Place samo directly before whatever you’re limiting:

Mogu igrati nogomet samo do šest sati. → Only until six.
Mogu samo igrati nogomet do šest sati. → I can only do playing soccer (and nothing else) until six.
Mogu igrati samo nogomet do šest sati. → I can play only soccer (not other sports) until six. Starting with Samo mogu… is possible but sounds like you’re emphasizing that the only thing you can do is that entire action.

Can I use mogu da igram instead of mogu igrati?

In standard Croatian, modals like moći take the infinitive: mogu igrati. The da + present form (mogu da igram) is characteristic of Serbian; Croatians understand it, but it’s not standard Croatian.

What’s the difference between mogu and smijem?

mogu = can/able to (ability/possibility).
smijem = may/am allowed to (permission). So: Mogu igrati… (I’m able to) vs Smijem igrati… (I’m permitted to).

Can I use dok instead of do for “until”?

do is a preposition used with nouns/time expressions: do šest (sati).
dok is a conjunction used with a clause: Mogu igrati dok ne bude šest. (“I can play until it’s six.”) Note the typical Croatian “pleonastic” ne with dok to mean “until.”

What’s the difference between do and u with times?

u (+ accusative) = “at”: u šest (sati) = at six.
do (+ genitive) = “until/by”: do šest(i) (sati) = until/by six. Example: Mogu igrati do šest, a sastanak je u šest.

Why are there no articles like “a/the”?

Croatian has no articles. Definiteness/indefiniteness is understood from context, word order, and other cues. nogomet can correspond to English “soccer/football” with or without “the.”

Do I ever use a preposition with igrati for sports?

Not for the sport itself: igrati nogomet/tenis/košarku (no preposition). But you can use prepositions with teams: igrati za Dinamo (play for Dinamo), igrati protiv Barcelone (play against Barcelona).

Would a perfective verb like odigrati or zaigrati fit here?

Not in this meaning. igrati (imperfective) fits ongoing ability up to a time. zaigrati = to start playing; odigrati = to play through/complete (e.g., a match). They change the meaning.

Is nogomet the same as fudbal?

Yes, the sport is the same. nogomet is standard in Croatia. fudbal is used in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. Everyone will understand both.

How do I pronounce the sentence?

š = English “sh”
g is always hard (as in “go”)
Vowels are pure and short. Approximation: MOH-goo EE-grah-tee NOH-goh-met SAH-moh doh shest SAH-tee.