Noću učim hrvatski.

At night I study Croatian.

Breakdown of Noću učim hrvatski.

• hrvatski: Croatian
• noću: at night
• učiti: to study

Questions & Answers about Noću učim hrvatski.

What exactly is the word “Noću”? Do I need a preposition like “u”?

“Noću” is an adverb meaning “at night/by night,” used for a general or habitual time frame. It doesn’t take a preposition. It’s derived from the noun noć (night) with an adverbial ending.

• For a specific night you’d use something like ove noći (this night) or sinoć (last night).
• Common counterpart: danju = by day.

Can I change the word order? Is “Učim hrvatski noću” also correct?

Yes, Croatian word order is flexible.

• Noću učim hrvatski. (Time is emphasized: at night is the context.)
• Učim hrvatski noću. (More neutral; states when you do it.)
• Hrvatski učim noću. (Focuses on Croatian: it’s Croatian that you study at night, not something else.)

All three are grammatical; choice depends on what you want to emphasize.

Where is the pronoun “I”? Why isn’t “ja” used?

Croatian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person. Učim = “I study/learn.” You can add Ja for emphasis or contrast:

• Ja noću učim hrvatski. (I, not someone else, study Croatian at night.)

Why is there no article before “hrvatski”? How do I say “the Croatian language”?

Croatian has no articles (no “a/the”). Bare nouns/adjectives cover both definite and indefinite meanings from context. Učim hrvatski naturally means you study the Croatian language in general. If you want to be explicit, you can say:

• Učim hrvatski jezik. (I study the Croatian language.)

What exactly does “učim” mean—“I learn” or “I study”?

Both. Učiti covers “to learn” and “to study” in the sense of studying material. So Učim hrvatski = “I learn/study Croatian.” Note:

• Studirati is used for academic study (e.g., at university). Studiram hrvatski implies you study it as a degree or formally.
• Don’t say Učim se hrvatski here; the reflexive isn’t used for learning a language as a direct object.

Does “učiti” ever mean “to teach”?

Yes, with a person as the object: Učim djecu hrvatski = “I teach the children Croatian.” For “to teach/lecture (as a job/course),” predavati is common (e.g., Predajem hrvatski = I teach Croatian). Podučavati also means “to tutor/teach.”

How do you conjugate “učiti” in the present?

• ja učim
• ti učiš
• on/ona/ono uči
• mi učimo
• vi učite
• oni/one/ona uče

What’s the difference between “učiti” and “naučiti”?

Aspect:

• učiti (imperfective) = to be learning/studying (ongoing, habitual).
• naučiti (perfective) = to learn something to completion (to have learned). Examples:
• Noću učim hrvatski. (I study/learn at night.)
• Naučit ću hrvatski. (I will learn Croatian [completely].)
• Naučio/Naučila sam hrvatski. (I learned Croatian.)

Why is it “hrvatski” and not “hrvatskog/hrvatskoga”?

Here hrvatski is an adjective used as a noun meaning “(the) Croatian (language).” It’s the direct object (accusative singular masculine). For inanimate masculine nouns/adjectives, the accusative singular has the same form as the nominative: hrvatski. If you include the noun:

• Učim hrvatski jezik. (accusative = nominative for inanimate “jezik”) “Hrvatskog” would be genitive (or animate accusative), which doesn’t fit here.

Should “hrvatski” be capitalized?

No. Names of languages and adjectives of nationality are lowercase in Croatian: hrvatski (jezik). Proper names are capitalized: Hrvatska (Croatia), Hrvat (a Croat).

How do I pronounce the tricky letters (č vs. ć) here?

• č (in uČim) is a “hard ch,” like “ch” in “church.”
• ć (in NoĆu) is a softer, more “delicate” ch—shorter and lighter than č. Other tips:
• r in hrvatski is tapped/trilled.
• Pronounce the cluster -tsk- in hrvatski fully: hr-VAT-skee.
• Vowels are pure: u = “oo,” i = “ee.”

Are there alternative ways to say “at night”?

Yes:

• noću (most common, adverb)
• po noći (also heard; more colloquial/regional)
• Set phrases: noću i danju = “by night and by day” Avoid u noći for the general meaning “at night”; it’s rare/literary or used in specific contexts.

How would I say this in the past or future?

• Habit in the past: Noću sam učio/učila hrvatski. (I used to study Croatian at night.)
• One specific time: Sinoć sam učio/učila hrvatski. (I studied last night.)
• Future: Noću ću učiti hrvatski. (I will study Croatian at night.) Note the gender agreement in the past (učio = m., učila = f.).