Learn Hardcore Croatian: Ujutro radim, a popodne gledam filmove. - In the morning I work, and in the afternoon I watch movies.

A is a coordinating conjunction that often means “and,” but with a contrastive or “whereas/while” nuance between the two clauses. It contrasts two different times/activities: morning vs. afternoon. Using plain i would feel more purely additive, with less contrast.

Why is there a comma before a?

In Croatian, you put a comma before a when it connects two independent clauses. Each part (morning clause and afternoon clause) has its own verb, so a comma is required: ..., a ....

Why is ujutro written as one word, and why is there no preposition like “in”?

Ujutro is an adverb meaning “in the morning.” Historically it comes from “u jutro,” but in modern standard Croatian it’s fused and functions as a single adverb, so you don’t add another preposition. Note: in Serbian you’ll see ujutru; in Croatian the common form is ujutro.

What’s the difference between popodne and poslijepodne?

Both are correct in Croatian:

poslijepodne — more formal/standard (“afternoon”).
popodne — very common colloquial/short form with the same meaning. There’s also prijepodne for “forenoon/late morning (before noon).”

Why isn’t there a subject pronoun like ja (“I”)?

Croatian is a pro‑drop language. The verb ending shows the subject:

radim = “I work”
gledam = “I watch” You only add ja for emphasis or contrast: Ja ujutro radim, a ti popodne gledaš filmove.

Why is the simple present used? Is it habitual?

Yes. Croatian present covers both “right now” and habitual/scheduled actions. Here it’s a routine: morning = work; afternoon = watching movies. The present can also refer to scheduled future: Sutra ujutro radim.

Why filmove and not filmovi?

Filmove is the accusative plural (direct object) of film. Pattern:

Nominative singular: film
Accusative singular: film (inanimate)
Nominative plural: filmovi
Accusative plural: filmove Since you “watch” them (direct object), you need the accusative plural: gledam filmove.

Could I say gledam film instead of gledam filmove?

Yes:

gledam film = “I’m watching a film / I watch a film” (singular, one movie).
gledam filmove = “I watch movies” (plural, general habit or multiple movies). Choose based on meaning.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Croatian word order is flexible; time expressions are often fronted for focus. All of these are fine (with slightly different emphasis):

Ujutro radim, a popodne gledam filmove.
Radim ujutro, a popodne gledam filmove.
Ujutro radim, a filmove gledam popodne.
Popodne gledam filmove, a ujutro radim.

Can I use i instead of a?

You can, but it changes the feel:

... i ... = simple addition (“and”).
... a ... = mild contrast (“while/whereas”). Because the two activities happen at different times, a is more idiomatic.

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

Croatian has no articles. Definiteness is usually clear from context, word order, or can be expressed with other means (e.g., demonstratives like taj, ovaj), but default nouns appear without articles.

Could I use perfective verbs like pogledam or odgledam?

Not for a general habit. Perfective present (e.g., pogledam) usually refers to a single, completed event in the future (“I’ll watch [and finish]”). For habits/schedules you use imperfective: radim, gledam. Perfective would be natural in contexts like: Popodne ću pogledati jedan film (“This afternoon I’ll watch one film”).

Is po podne (two words) acceptable?

In modern standard Croatian, the recommended forms are poslijepodne and popodne (one word). You may see po podne or poslije podne in older texts or informally, but the fused forms are preferred.

How do I say “every morning” explicitly?

Use svakog jutra or svako jutro:

Svakog jutra radim, a popodne gledam filmove. You can also say svakog poslijepodneva for “every afternoon,” though many speakers keep the first part and leave the second as a bare time adverb: Svakog jutra radim, a popodne gledam filmove.

If I replace filmove with a pronoun, where does it go?

The clitic pronoun for “them” (masc. pl.) is ih, and clitics go to the “second position” in the clause:

Ujutro radim, a popodne ih gledam.
Ujutro radim, a ih popodne gledam. (less natural—better to place the clitic after the first stressed word of the clause, e.g., after popodne or after a if there’s no other opener)

Are ujutro and popodne capitalized?

No. They’re common adverbs/time expressions, so they’re written in lowercase: ujutro, popodne.