Learn Hardcore Croatian: Koliko minuta čekamo na stanici? - How many minutes are we waiting at the station?

Because koliko governs the genitive case for countable nouns, so you use the genitive plural: minuta. The form minute is either nominative plural or genitive singular, and it appears with the numbers 2–4, not with koliko. Examples:

dvije minute, tri minute, četiri minute (genitive singular after 2–4)
pet minuta (genitive plural after 5+)
Koliko minuta…? (genitive plural after koliko)

Could I say Koliko dugo instead of Koliko minuta?

Yes. Koliko dugo čekamo na stanici? asks “how long” in general. Koliko minuta…? asks specifically for a number of minutes. You can also say Koliko vremena čekamo…? (How much time…?).

What does na stanici mean exactly, and why na and not u?

Na with the locative means “at/on” a place (static location). Na stanici = “at the station/stop.” U means “in/inside.” You’d use u if you’re physically inside a building: e.g., u policijskoj stanici (in the police station). For transport stops, na is the normal choice: na stanici, na kolodvoru (at the station/terminal).

What case is stanici, and what would the form be if motion were involved?

Stanici is locative singular (after the preposition na for a fixed location). If you express motion toward the station, you’d use accusative: na stanicu (to the station). Compare:

Čekamo na stanici. (We are waiting at the station.)
Idemo na stanicu. (We are going to the station.)

Do I need to say the pronoun mi (we)?

No. Croatian drops subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows the person/number. Čekamo clearly means “we (are) wait(ing).” You could add mi for emphasis or contrast: Mi čekamo na stanici, a oni u kafiću.

Why isn’t there the question particle li here?

Li is used for yes/no questions (e.g., Čekamo li na stanici? = “Are we waiting at the station?”). Your sentence starts with Koliko, an interrogative word, so li is not used.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, several orders are possible, with slight emphasis changes. All of these are acceptable:

Koliko minuta čekamo na stanici? (neutral)
Koliko minuta na stanici čekamo? (mild emphasis on “at the station”)
Na stanici koliko minuta čekamo? (fronts the location for contrast/focus) Croatian word order is flexible, but keep koliko early in the sentence.

Is the present tense čekamo equivalent to English “are waiting”? Do I need future for planned waiting?

Yes, the simple present čekamo covers both “we wait” and “we are waiting.” If you mean future/planned waiting, use the future: Koliko minuta ćemo čekati na stanici? (How many minutes will we wait at the station?)

Should I say čekati na [something] when I mean “wait for [something]”?

Standard Croatian prefers bare čekati with a direct object: čekati autobus (wait for the bus), čekati prijatelja (wait for a friend). You do see čekati na colloquially, but it’s less standard. In your sentence, na belongs to the location (na stanici), not to čekati.

What’s the difference between stanica, kolodvor, and postaja?

Stanica: a stop/station (bus/tram stop; also general “station” in many contexts).
Kolodvor (Croatian standard): a larger terminal, especially a railway or main bus station (e.g., željeznički kolodvor).
Postaja: also “station,” common in some official/technical names (e.g., policijska postaja, benzinska postaja). Your sentence with na stanici is natural for a bus/tram stop or a generic station.

Why not kolike minute instead of koliko minuta?

Koliko is the correct interrogative for “how many/how much” before nouns. Koliki/kolika/kolike are adjective-like forms used to ask about size/extent, not for counting nouns. So you say Koliko minuta…?, not Kolike minute…?

How do I pronounce the special letters?

č in čekamo is like “ch” in “church.”
c in stanici is like “ts” in “cats.”
Stress typically falls earlier than in English; aim for clear, short vowels: če-ka-mo, sta-ni-ci.

Is minut ever used instead of minuta?

In Croatian standard, minuta is the usual word. Minut is common in Serbian and can be heard regionally, but in Croatian you should prefer minuta (plural genitive minuta as in your sentence).

What intonation should I use?

With a wh-word like Koliko, use a falling or fall–rise contour toward the end of the sentence. Don’t use the strong final rise typical of English yes/no questions.