Questions & Answers about On ide kući s bratom.
Do I have to say "On," or can I drop the subject?
Why is it kući and not kuću?
- kući is the dative/locative singular of kuća and is used adverbially to mean “(to) home / homeward.” With motion verbs, idem/ideš/ide kući = “I/you/he is going home.”
- kuću is the accusative singular and means “(a/the) house” as a direct object or with a preposition meaning “into the house.”
Examples:
- Vidim kuću. = I see a house.
- Idem kući. = I’m going home.
- Idem u kuću. = I’m going into the house (i.e., entering the building).
Why is there no preposition before kući?
Because kući itself carries the “to home” meaning. For location (not motion), use:
- On je kod kuće. = He is at home.
- Don’t say u kući to mean “at home”; u kući means “in the house (building).”
What case is s bratom, and why?
It’s instrumental singular. The preposition s/sa + instrumental means “with (in company of).”
- Nominative: brat (brother)
- Instrumental: bratom
So, s bratom = “with (his) brother.”
When do I use s vs sa?
Use s by default. Use sa for easier pronunciation, especially:
- before words starting with s, z, š, ž (e.g., sa ženom);
- before some tricky clusters or certain pronouns (sa mnom, sa njim). Here, both s bratom and sa bratom are acceptable; s bratom is more common.
How do you conjugate ići (“to go”) in the present?
It’s irregular:
- ja idem
- ti ideš
- on/ona/ono ide
- mi idemo
- vi idete
- oni/one/ona idu
Croatian has no separate “-ing” form; the present covers both “go” and “is going.”
Does ide change with gender?
Not in the present. Gender shows up in the past:
- On je išao kući. (he went)
- Ona je išla kući. (she went)
- Dijete je išlo kući. (the child went)
What’s the difference between ići, otići, and poći?
- ići (imperfective): process/habit, neutral “go/going.” — On ide kući.
- otići (perfective): completed departure, “to leave/go off.” — On je otišao kući.
- poći (perfective): “to set off,” often the beginning of a trip or planned start. — On će poći kući.
Could s mean “from,” and how do I avoid confusion?
Yes, s/sa + genitive can mean “from (off of)” (e.g., s krova = from the roof).
In your sentence, bratom is instrumental, so s bratom must mean “with (his) brother,” not “from the brother.”
Whose brother is it? Does s bratom imply “his brother”?
Usually context implies it’s the subject’s brother. To be explicit:
- “with his (own) brother” (subject’s own): sa svojim bratom
- “with his brother” (someone else’s): s njegovim bratom
- “with my/your/her brother”: s mojim/tvojim/njezinim bratom
Can I move s bratom around in the sentence?
Yes, Croatian word order is flexible for emphasis:
- On ide kući s bratom. (neutral)
- On s bratom ide kući. (emphasizes the company)
- S bratom ide kući. (topic = with his brother; subject pronoun dropped) All are grammatical; intonation and context determine nuance.
How do I negate it?
How do I pronounce ć in kući?
Is doma a correct alternative to kući?
How would I say “with his brothers” (plural), and what’s the plural of “brat”?
The plural is irregular: braća (brothers). Instrumental plural is braćom.
- On ide kući s braćom. = He’s going home with his brothers.
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