Question 1

Why isn’t the subject pronoun ja used?

Accepted Answer

Croatian is a pro‑drop language: the verb ending already shows the person. Idem ends in -m, which marks 1st person singular, so ja is usually omitted. You can add it for emphasis or contrast: Ja idem s njom u grad, a on ostaje. (I’m the one going, he’s staying.)

Question 2

What is njom, and why not nju or njoj?

Accepted Answer

The preposition s/sa (with) requires the instrumental case. Njom(e) is the instrumental singular of the pronoun ona (she).  
- Direct object (accusative): nju (e.g., see her)  
- Indirect object (dative): njoj (e.g., to her)  
- With “with” (instrumental): njom(e) → s njom

Question 3

When do I use s versus sa? Is sa njom okay?

Accepted Answer

- Use s by default: s njom.  
- Use sa to ease pronunciation, especially before words starting with s, z, š, ž or before clusters: sa sestrom, sa ženom, sa mnom.  
- Both s njom and sa njom are acceptable; s njom is the neutral default here.

Question 4

Why u grad and not u gradu?

Accepted Answer

With motion/direction, u takes the accusative: u grad (into the city).  
With location/state, u takes the locative: u gradu (in the city).  
Note that for masculine inanimate nouns like grad, the accusative form looks like the nominative (grad), while the locative is gradu.

Question 5

Can I change the word order?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Croatian word order is flexible, and changes mainly affect emphasis:  
- Neutral: Idem s njom u grad.  
- Emphasize destination: Idem u grad s njom.  
- Emphasize companion: S njom idem u grad.  
All are grammatical.

Question 6

How do I pronounce s njom?

Accepted Answer

- nj is a single sound [ɲ], like the “ny” in “canyon.”  
- Say it as one flow: s‑nyom (no extra vowel between s and nj).  
- The j here isn’t its own sound; it helps mark the palatal nj.

Question 7

Does idem mean “I’m going (now)” or “I go (habitually)”? Can it refer to the future?

Accepted Answer

All of the above, depending on context and time words:  
- Present ongoing: now.  
- Habitual: regularly.  
- Near/arranged future with an adverb: Sutra idem s njom u grad.  
For a clear future, you can also use the future tense: Ići ću u grad.

Question 8

How do I say “with me/you/him/us/them” with this structure?

Accepted Answer

All are instrumental after s/sa:  
- with me: sa mnom (often preferred) / s mnom  
- with you (sg): s tobom / sa tobom  
- with him/it (m/n): s njim / sa njim (also s njime)  
- with her/it (f): s njom / sa njom (also s njome)  
- with us: s nama / sa nama  
- with you (pl): s vama / sa vama  
- with them: s njima / sa njima

Question 9

Why not sa njoj or sa ona?

Accepted Answer

Because s/sa governs the instrumental case.  
- njoj is dative/locative,  
- ona is nominative,  
- nju is accusative.  
Only the instrumental fits here: s njom (njome).

Question 10

Why use u and not na with a city?

Accepted Answer

With cities/towns, you normally use u (into/in): u grad, u Zagreb.  
Na is used for surfaces/occasions or certain set destinations: na posao (to work), na more (to the seaside). Na grad would mean “onto/against the city” in contexts like napad na grad (an attack on the city).

Question 11

How do I negate the sentence?

Accepted Answer

Put ne directly before the verb: Ne idem s njom u grad.

Question 12

Is njome also correct instead of njom?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Both njom and njome are standard instrumental forms. Njom is more common in everyday speech; njome can sound a bit more formal or careful.

Question 13

Does u grad imply anything like “downtown,” and do I need an article?

Accepted Answer

Croatian has no articles, so there’s no “the/a.” In everyday speech, u grad often means “into town/downtown” (the city center), with the specific city understood from context. If you need to specify, you name it: u Zagreb, u Split, etc.

Idem s njom u grad.

Breakdown of Idem s njom u grad.

Questions & Answers about Idem s njom u grad.

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