Learn Hardcore Croatian: On je u gradu, a ona je u školi. - He is in the city, and she is at school.

je is the 3rd person singular present of biti (“to be”), so it means “is.” In standard Croatian you normally include it: On je u gradu is correct; On u gradu is incomplete (except in very informal ellipsis).

Why does je appear in second position?

je is a clitic and tends to stand in second position within its clause. Examples: On je u gradu; U gradu je; Danas je on u gradu.

Can I drop the second je in the sentence?

Yes, in coordination you can omit repeated verbs: On je u gradu, a ona u školi. This is common and natural.

Why do grad and škola change to gradu and školi?

Because u (in/at) takes the locative case for static location. Locative singular endings:

Masculine (like grad) → -u: u gradu
Feminine -a (like škola) → -i: u školi For neuter -o: selo → u selu.

When would it be u grad or u školu without those endings?

Use accusative with u for motion into a place:

Idem u grad = I’m going to/into the city.
Idem u školu = I’m going to school. Use locative for being somewhere: je u gradu/školi.

What does a mean here, and how is it different from i?

a means “and/while/whereas” and marks a contrast between clauses or subjects. i is a simple additive “and.” On je u gradu, a ona je u školi sounds more natural than … i ona je … because it contrasts his and her locations.

Can a mean “but”?

Yes, a is a mild adversative (“and yet/whereas”). For a stronger “but,” use ali: On je u gradu, ali ona je u školi.

Why is there a comma before a?

Croatian uses a comma before coordinating conjunctions like a/ali/nego when they join clauses: …, a … The comma is required here.

Can I drop the subject pronouns (on/ona)?

Often yes, if context makes the subjects clear. You can say U gradu je, a u školi je or, with ellipsis, U gradu je, a u školi. Keep on/ona if you want to highlight the contrast or avoid ambiguity.

Can I change the word order for emphasis?

Yes. Examples:

U gradu je on, a u školi je ona (emphasizes who is where).
On je u gradu, a u školi je ona (focuses on the place in the second clause). Clitics like je still stay in second position within each clause.

Are there articles in Croatian? How do I say “the city” vs “a city”?

Croatian has no articles. u gradu can mean either “in the city” or “in a city”; context decides. u školi likewise means “at school/in school.”

Does u gradu ever mean “in town/downtown”?

Colloquially, yes. From the suburbs, u gradu often means “in town/downtown.” For the city center specifically, u centru is common.

Any quick pronunciation tips for these words?

j is like English “y” in “yes,” so je sounds like “yeh.”
u is “oo” as in “food.”
š is “sh,” so školi sounds like “sh-koh-lee.”
Vowels are pure; a is like “a” in “father.”

Do I have to type the special letter š?

Yes. Diacritics matter in standard Croatian. škola/školi with š is correct; skola/skoli is considered incorrect (even if you sometimes see it informally online).

How do I negate the sentence?

Use nije (negation of je):

On nije u gradu, a ona nije u školi = He isn’t in the city, and she isn’t at school.

What are the plural forms?

Masculine/mixed “they”: Oni su u gradu.
Feminine “they”: One su u školi.
Neuter “they” (things): Ona su u gradu. The verb changes to su in 3rd person plural.

Is this je the same as the pronoun je (“her”)?

They look the same but differ by role. Here, je = “is” (verb). There’s also clitic je = “her/them” (e.g., Vidim je = I see her). Position and context disambiguate them.

Why u školi but sometimes na fakultetu/na poslu? When do I use u vs na?

Both mean “at/in,” but:

u = in/inside a place: u školi, u kući, u gradu.
na = on/surface and certain institutions/activities: na fakultetu (at university), na poslu (at work), na plaži (at the beach).

How do I make it a yes/no question?

Use je li (formal/standard) or da li (colloquial): Je li on u gradu, a ona u školi? You can also rely on rising intonation in speech.

How do adjectives behave in these phrases?

They agree in case, gender, and number:

u velikom gradu (in a big city: masc. loc. sg.)
u velikoj školi (in a big school: fem. loc. sg.)

Can I use jest instead of je?

jest is a full, emphatic form of “is,” used rarely for contrast or in formal style (e.g., On jest u gradu, “he indeed is in the city”). In everyday speech/writing, use je.