Learn Hardcore Croatian: Jučer smo pitali učiteljicu, a danas znamo odgovor. - Yesterday we asked the teacher, and today we know the answer.

Using bold i would simply add information (and) with little contrast.
Using bold ali is a stronger but, highlighting opposition.
You could also use bold pa to suggest consequence: bold Jučer smo pitali učiteljicu, pa danas znamo odgovor (so, therefore).

Why is there a comma before bold a?

In standard Croatian, a comma is placed before bold a when it connects two independent clauses. So the comma here is required.

Why is bold smo before bold pitali?

bold Smo is an auxiliary clitic and must stand in the “second position” of the clause (after the first stressed word/phrase).

Correct: bold Jučer smo pitali…
Also correct: bold Pitali smo jučer…
Not standard in Croatian: bold Jučer pitali smo…

Can I change the word order? For example, bold Pitali smo jučer učiteljicu?

Yes. Common neutral variants include:

bold Jučer smo pitali učiteljicu.
bold Pitali smo jučer učiteljicu.
bold Učiteljicu smo jučer pitali. (emphasizes teacher) All are grammatical; word order mainly affects emphasis.

Why does bold učiteljicu end in -u?

bold Učiteljicu is the accusative singular of the feminine noun bold učiteljica (teacher). Feminine -a nouns take -u in the accusative singular because they’re direct objects: bold p(itati) koga/što? učiteljicu.

What if the teacher is male?

Use the masculine noun bold učitelj. In the accusative singular (animate), it’s bold učitelja:

bold Jučer smo pitali učitelja.

Why is it bold pitali and not bold pitao/pitala/pitale?

The past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number:

bold pitao sam (I, male)
bold pitala sam (I, female)
bold pitali smo (we, mixed or all-male)
bold pitale smo (we, all-female) The sentence assumes a mixed or male group: bold pitali smo.

What’s the difference between bold pitati, bold upitati, and bold postaviti pitanje?

bold pitati = to ask (imperfective; general, process).
bold upitati = to ask once, to put a question (perfective; a completed act). bold Jučer smo upitali učiteljicu is also natural.
bold postaviti pitanje = to pose a question (more formal/literal).

Why is bold znamo in the present, not bold znali smo or bold saznali smo?

bold znamo (we know) describes the current state today.
bold znali smo (we knew) refers to knowledge at some past time.
bold saznali smo (we found out) describes the moment of learning; you could say bold Jučer smo pitali…, a danas smo saznali odgovor to stress discovery.

What case is bold odgovor, and why doesn’t it change?

bold Odgovor is the direct object in the accusative singular. For masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative singular equals the nominative: bold odgovor → odgovor.

Can I replace bold odgovor with a pronoun?

Yes, use bold ga (him/it):

bold A danas ga znamo. (Clitic bold ga also follows the second-position rule: bold Danas ga znamo; bold Mi ga danas znamo.)

Can I replace bold učiteljicu with a pronoun?

Yes, use the feminine object clitic bold je (or bold ju):

bold Jučer smo je pitali. / bold Jučer smo ju pitali. Both are used in Croatian; bold ju can help avoid confusion with the auxiliary bold je (is).

Is bold jučer the only correct form in Croatian?

Yes for Croatian standard: bold jučer. The form bold juče is Serbian. Stick with bold jučer in Croatian.

Croatian has no articles. How do I know if it means the teacher or a teacher?

Context supplies definiteness. bold učiteljicu can mean the teacher or a teacher. If needed, add context (e.g., a possessive: bold našu učiteljicu = our teacher).

Is bold učiteljica the same as bold nastavnica?

Both mean female teacher, but:

bold učiteljica typically teaches in primary/elementary school (multiple subjects).
bold nastavnica teaches specific subjects, usually in upper primary/high school.

Any quick pronunciation tips?

bold Jučer: roughly YOO-cher.
bold učiteljicu: oo-chee-TEL-yee-tsoo (stress tends to fall early: bold uči-).
bold pitali: PEE-tah-lee.
bold odgovor: OHD-goh-vor (hard g).