Idem u kupaonicu prije sastanka.

I am going to the bathroom before the meeting.

Breakdown of Idem u kupaonicu prije sastanka.

• ići: to go
• u: to
• prije: before
• kupaonica: bathroom
• sastanak: meeting

Questions & Answers about Idem u kupaonicu prije sastanka.

Why is the present tense idem used instead of a future like ću ići?

Croatian often uses the simple present for actions happening now or very soon (immediate intention). So Idem u kupaonicu… naturally means “I’m going (now/soon).”

• Neutral future is possible: Ići ću u kupaonicu prije sastanka, but it sounds more like a plan than an immediate step.
• If you want to emphasize the single, completed act of leaving/going, use perfective: Otići ću u kupaonicu prije sastanka.

Do I need to say the subject pronoun ja?

No. The verb ending in idem already shows 1st person singular. You add ja only for emphasis or contrast:

• Neutral: Idem u kupaonicu…
• Emphatic/contrastive: Ja idem u kupaonicu… (a ne ti).

Why is it u kupaonicu and not u kupaonici?

With the preposition u:

• Motion into/inside a place → accusative: u kupaonicu (“to the bathroom”).
• Location (no movement) → locative: u kupaonici (“in the bathroom”). Here we have motion, so accusative is required.

What case does prije require, and why is it sastanka?

Prije takes the genitive. Sastanka is the genitive singular of sastanak (“meeting”).

• Before the meeting: prije sastanka (genitive)
• After the meeting: poslije sastanka (genitive)
• A more formal/literary alternative is pred sastankom (instrumental), meaning “right before (in front of) the meeting.”

Can I say pre sastanka instead of prije sastanka?

In standard Croatian, use prije. Pre is standard in Serbian (and heard regionally), but it’s not standard Croatian.

How do I say “before the meeting starts” with a full clause?

Use prije nego što + present tense (even for future reference):

• Idem u kupaonicu prije nego što počne sastanak. Colloquially, people may drop što (→ prije nego počne), but the safest standard form is with što. You can also say prije no što.

Is kupaonica the usual word for “bathroom” in this context?

It depends:

• At home: kupaonica is natural.
• In offices/public places: people more often say WC or toalet. Common, idiomatic options:
• Idem na WC. (very common, pronounced “ve-ce”)
• Idem na toalet.
• Idem u kupaonicu. (fine, but can imply a full bathroom like at home) Also heard: zahod (standard but sounds old-fashioned/regional). Croatian also accepts kupaona (shorter form), e.g., u kupaonu.

Why do people say na WC but u kupaonicu?

Prepositions are partly idiomatic:

• Rooms/spaces you go into: typically u (+ accusative) → u kupaonicu.
• Facilities/activities: often na (+ accusative) → na WC, na toalet.
  Both are correct within their collocations.

What are the key case forms I need here for kupaonica and sastanak?

• kupaonica (fem.)
  • Nominative: kupaonica
  • Accusative (motion to): kupaonicu
  • Genitive: kupaonice
  • Locative (location in): kupaonici
• sastanak (masc.)
  • Nominative: sastanak
  • Genitive (after prije/poslije): sastanka
  • Accusative: sastanak
  • Locative: sastanku

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Croatian word order is flexible. All of these are fine, with small shifts in emphasis:

• Idem u kupaonicu prije sastanka. (neutral)
• Prije sastanka idem u kupaonicu. (time frame first)
• U kupaonicu idem prije sastanka. (emphasis on destination) Put the most important/new information nearer the end.

Does this sentence describe a one-time action or a habit?

By default here it’s a one-time/near-future action (what you’re about to do). For a habit, make it explicit:

• Prije svakog sastanka idem u kupaonicu. (“Before every meeting, I go to the bathroom.”)

What’s the nuance of do in Idem do kupaonice?

Do + genitive (→ do kupaonice) literally means “up to the bathroom.” In everyday speech it can sound like “I’m just popping over to the bathroom” (briefly). It focuses on heading there, not necessarily entering/staying.

How would I say “I’m in the bathroom” as opposed to “I’m going to the bathroom”?

• Going (motion): Idem u kupaonicu. (accusative)
• Being (location): U kupaonici sam. (locative)

How do I express “the meeting” vs “a meeting” when Croatian has no articles?

Context decides specificity. Prije sastanka can mean “before the meeting” if one is known from context. To be explicit:

• Specific: prije onog sastanka / prije tog sastanka
• Non-specific: prije nekog sastanka (“before some meeting”)

Are there common mistakes to watch out for with this sentence?

Yes:

• Using the wrong case after u: not u kupaonica or u kupaonici (for motion), but u kupaonicu.
• Using the wrong case after prije: not prije sastanku, but prije sastanka (genitive).
• Overusing future when present is more natural: immediate plans usually take idem, not always ću ići.
• Mixing u/na collocations: prefer u kupaonicu, na WC.