Learn Hardcore Croatian: Idemo u trgovinu; trebamo kruh i sir. - We are going to the store; we need bread and cheese.

All of those, depending on context. Idemo is the present tense of ići (to go): “we go/we’re going,” and it’s also commonly used as a friendly suggestion: “let’s go.” The actual 1st‑person plural imperative is idimo, but people far more often say hajdemo/ajmo or simply idemo.

Why is it u trgovinu and not u trgovini?

Because with movement “into,” u takes the accusative: u trgovinu (into the store). For location “in/at,” u takes the locative: u trgovini (in the store).

Movement: Idemo u trgovinu.
Location: Mi smo u trgovini.

What case is trgovinu, and why does it end in -u?

Accusative singular of a feminine noun ending in -a. In this pattern, -a → -u in the accusative:

trgovina → trgovinu
škola → školu
kuća → kuću

Why don’t kruh and sir change form after trebamo?

They’re masculine inanimate nouns; in Croatian their accusative singular equals the nominative singular. So as direct objects they stay kruh and sir.

Could I say Idemo u dućan instead of u trgovinu?

Yes. Dućan is a very common colloquial word for “shop/store.” Other options: trgovina (neutral/common), prodavaonica (more formal/official).

Is the semicolon natural in Croatian? How else could I write this?

A semicolon is fine. In everyday writing you’ll also see:

Two sentences: Idemo u trgovinu. Trebamo kruh i sir.
A causal link: Idemo u trgovinu jer trebamo kruh i sir.
A looser link: Idemo u trgovinu, pa trebamo kruh i sir. (pa ≈ “so/and then”)

Can I express the purpose with po?

Yes, very idiomatic: Idemo u trgovinu po kruh i sir. Here po + accusative means “for (to fetch).”

What’s the difference between trebamo and moramo?

trebati = to need: Trebamo kruh i sir. (We need bread and cheese.)
morati = must/have to: Moramo kupiti kruh i sir. (We have to buy bread and cheese.) The second implies obligation rather than need.

Is Trebamo kruh i sir the only way to say “We need bread and cheese”?

No. A very common impersonal pattern is: Treba nam kruh i sir. You’ll also hear agreement in the plural: Trebaju nam kruh i sir. All are used; the impersonal singular treba is extremely common in speech.

How would I say “We need to buy bread and cheese”?

Trebamo kupiti kruh i sir. (need to do something)
If it’s an obligation: Moramo kupiti kruh i sir.
With purpose inside the first clause: Idemo u trgovinu kupiti kruh i sir.

If I want to say “some bread and (some) cheese,” do I change the forms?

Use a quantity word and the genitive:

malo kruha i sira (a little bread and cheese)
puno/dosta kruha i sira (a lot/enough of bread and cheese)
Without a quantifier, keep the basic forms: kruh i sir.

Why no “the” or “a” for “store” in Croatian?

Croatian has no articles. Definiteness is understood from context. If you need to be specific, you can use demonstratives or numerals: u onu trgovinu (to that store), u jednu trgovinu (to a/one store).

How flexible is the word order?

Fairly flexible for emphasis, but keep it natural:

Neutral: Idemo u trgovinu; trebamo kruh i sir.
Cause first: Trebamo kruh i sir, pa idemo u trgovinu.
If you use a dative pronoun, keep it in “second position”: Idemo u trgovinu jer nam treba kruh i sir.

Can I also say Hajdemo or Ajmo?

Yes. Hajdemo (or colloquial ajmo) directly means “let’s go” and is very common: Hajdemo u trgovinu.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

Idemo [EE-deh-moh]
u [oo]
trgovinu [tr-goh-VEE-noo] (rolled r; the v is a soft v/w-like sound)
trebamo [TREH-bah-moh]
kruh [krooH] (h is pronounced)
sir [seer]

Does i always mean “and”? Could I use a or te?

i = and (neutral addition): kruh i sir
a = and/but (contrasting): On kupuje kruh, a ja sir.
te = and (more formal/literary): kruh te sir

Any regional differences in the words for “bread” and “store”?

Yes. In Serbia you’ll hear prodavnica (store) and hleb (bread): Idemo u prodavnicu; treba nam hleb i sir. In Bosnia: prodavnica/trgovina and hljeb.

How do I make this a yes–no question?

With intonation: Idemo u trgovinu?
With li: Idemo li u trgovinu? / Trebamo li kruh i sir?

If I want to say “We are at the store,” what changes?

Use the locative after u: (Mi smo) u trgovini. (We are at/in the store.)